Ukraine Eurointegration Platform, together with Ukrainian Voice UK and Birmingham for Ukraine, has united to work on a pathway to permanent settlement for Ukrainians living in the UK.

While the Ukrainian schemes were designed as a short-term response, the reality of a war entering its fifth year has created a pressing need for long-term certainty and clarity for Ukrainians living in the UK.

Simone Schetman, the lead advocate and lobbyist for the Pathway to Settlement for Ukrainians in the UK campaign, has been helping Ukrainians since the very first days of the invasion. “I have personally helped bring about 600 families to the UK from across Ukraine: Kharkiv, Mariupol, Kyiv and more. I have deep relationships with these people.” Her personal connection to Ukraine also plays a role in the cause. “When you have gone this far down the track, you want to complete the mission.”

Winning this fight requires dialogue on multiple fronts, including mental health, employment, and contributions to the system. “There is no silver bullet,” adds Simone. She argues that the “total package” of evidence demonstrating integration and contribution to the country must be presented to numerous departments and agencies, including the Home Office and the Foreign Office. 

Ukrainians face everyday hurdles. While the right to work and rent is legally clear, landlords and employers often favour candidates with more secure immigration status over those holding visas that are due to expire. The movement aims to replace the uncertainty of periodic extensions with a clear roadmap that would establish criteria and requirements for those fleeing an ongoing war.

Ireland has become the first neighbouring country to the UK to establish a pathway under which time spent on the Temporary Protection Transition Scheme can count towards eligibility for naturalisation.

“I was getting job rejections throughout the past year because of my visa,” says Nataliya Horbenko, a Ukrainian woman who has been living in the UK for four years. Despite having extensive experience in logistics and trade, she was unable to secure a job in her field. To improve her prospects in the UK job market, Nataliya decided to upskill and applied to a university degree programme. “I secured funding for my studies and had been corresponding with the university since August last year, but in January I received a rejection.”

According to the Department for Education, an apprentice must hold a valid visa covering the entire duration of the apprenticeship without the need for renewal or extension.

For many Ukrainians, the 18-month Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme will expire by the end of this year. Although the renewal process is straightforward, in rare cases an extension may not be granted.

Written evidence, submitted to the parliamentary inquiry by Ukraine Policy Network together with the University of Birmingham earlier this year, provides robust evidence of the barriers Ukrainians face due to their temporary status. The document can serve as guidance for the government's decisions regarding the future settlement of Ukrainians in the UK.