Arriving in the UK with their children after a long and difficult journey, Ukrainian women are now threatened by homelessness due to the unclear policy of the British government.
Ukrainian people’s struggle has not been over just because they’ve arrived in a safe country as they, especially women with children, are working hard to overcome barriers like learning the English language and finding a job at the same time.
In addition to sorrow over being separated from some family members and trying hard to prepare a better future for their children, finding permanent accommodation has now become one of the most urgent issues for Ukrainian women.
Anadolu spoke with two Ukrainian mothers living in Weybridge, England’s southeastern city of Surrey, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Viktoria Bohatska and Tetiana Titarenko who both left Ukraine after the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine last year, told their stories as well as the difficulties they face before and after they arrive in the UK.
Viktoria Bohatska, 35, mother of 15-year-old Sofia, said they arrived in the UK on April 15, last year.
“I used to live in Kharkov (Kharkiv), very close to the Russian border and when the war started, there was a Russian attack in Kyiv and Kharkiv region. Yes, it was very terrible and stressful because all people don’t know what to do (nobody knew what to do),” she said.
It was hard for people to leave Ukraine to arrive in other countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany, especially when they did not have cars, she said.
“We didn’t know where to go, what to do next, because we were afraid, in stress, and also all women have young kids so it was a very stressful situation for all people.”
She said that they first arrived in Poland’s Lubin city, and then applied for the UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. Then, a family supported her by giving her a room to live in and also helped her to find a job as well as English classes.
Under the program, which was launched by the British government on March 14 last year, sponsors will be able to host Ukrainian refugees in their homes for up to six months and get £350 ($414).
Currently working at a cafe, Bohatska said she has to find a better job to rent a place to live as at some point family support will end.
“Here, it is very hard to find accommodation because landlords don’t want to give (a flat) to rent … (maybe they do) not believe we pay .. I don’t know… So it’s very difficult to find some place,” she said.
Showing a photo of herself with her mother and daughter, she said her mother decided to stay in Ukraine to look after her grandparents as traveling from Ukraine would be almost impossible them due to old age related problems.
Saying that Elmbridge CAN charity and Elmbridge Council helped them to overcome obstacles, Bohatska also thanked the British people for their support for Ukrainians.
Driving miles to UK
Tetiana Titarenko, 43, another Ukrainian mother had to leave the country just a day after Russia launched its war. She said that her husband asked her to drive on Feb. 24, to leave but did not do that.
“But later, the next day, 25th of February, when all of Ukraine (was hit by rocket attacks), very horrible time, I and my children sat in the car and drove to the Czech Republic, it was very long, maybe 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles).”
She said that with her daughter and son, they stayed in Czech Republic for two months until they became aware of the Homes for Ukraine program. After talking with children and friends Titarenko said they decided to drive to the UK and arrived on May 1.
Her husband, meanwhile, is still in the Ukrainian region of Kramatorsk, near Bakhmut. “It is a very horrible place and yes this is dangerous for him,” she said.
“I drove here and we stayed (with) very lovely family we had very nice support. This people open their homes and hearts and are very nice to us. My children go to school. Now I am learning English because my English is limited to work. I need to improve my English.”
Meanwhile, she expressed her sadness over uncertainty for their life as well as the future of Ukraine.
Also speaking to Anadolu, Judy Sarsby, a councillor from Elmbridge Borough Council who is covering Weybridge town, talked about their campaigns and assistance for Ukrainians living there.
“So the first thing we did was to get them to English classes. At that time, they all had accommodation here,” she said, adding that finding a job for them is another issue.
Explaining that the Homes for Ukraine scheme meant that English people were opening their homes and inviting them in, Sarsby said that they keep working to find new accommodation for Ukrainians because six months later, the British people who offered their places to Ukrainians wanted them to find homes of their own.
“Ukrainian women came here. Some of them drove all the way from, from Kyiv in their own cars to England, with their children to a new country. They didn’t speak very good English and they go to live with new families and it is incredible what they have done, they are such strong, such amazing people,” she added.
Many Ukrainians may become homeless
Georgina Ash Rogers is among the volunteers who are helping Ukrainian families living across Elmbridge.
“Their level of English is the main barrier to them being able to work. We have women who are very capable, they are accountants, they are physiotherapists, economists, they’ve worked at a high level in Ukraine, and it is hard for them with no family support to take jobs as a waitress or even as a cleaner.”
She also stressed finding a way to make it easier for Ukrainians to find a place to live as English families helping Ukrainians under the scheme started to end this practice.
“Many of them have said ‘Look, we want our homes back. Our circumstances have changed’ and so a lot of Ukrainian mothers with children find that they are homeless or they are going to be homeless,” noted Rogers.
She went on to say that lack of accommodation, prices, lack of language as well as being unable to work due to children in some cases limit the possibilities.
“This is the beginning of a big crisis,” added Rogers.
She also added that finding accommodation for Ukrainians be left to charities as it is too big a problem. Giving an example of the scale of the problem, Rogers mentioned that the apartment where many Ukrainians, including Bohatska, are living is owned by Housing Association but it plans to demolish it.
Housing associations offer similar types of housing as local councils – often to people on a low income or who need extra support.
Rogers said that they are fighting to save the place, otherwise, she stressed that Ukrainians as well as British people would be homeless in September.
Source: Anadolu Agency