Fellow Ukrainians: we want to hear from you

By Dora-Olivia Vicol - 26 August 2022

On the 24th of February, Russian military forces launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees arrived in the UK, hoping to find safety. We stand in solidarity with them and with their families. We also know that starting life over in a new country has many challenges. This is why we started this research project: to understand these challenges, and to better support the Ukrainian community in the UK. 

About the research project

This research project looks at four sets of issues:

• The effectiveness of the UK's visa-based response to the war in Ukraine, namely the speed with which applications could be processed, and the quality of relationships with sponsors.
• Housing issues, namely Ukrainian refugees' ability to obtain independent accommodation on the UK's taxing private rental market.
• Employment, and the ability of Ukrainian refugees to access jobs in the UK, and utilise their skills to their full potential.
• The quality of support available from the UK, particularly local authorities, MPs, and charities like ourselves and our partners.

To document these issues, we're running a survey and a series of interviews with Ukrainians and other stakeholders involved in supporting the Ukrainian community.

 

What happens to the data

All the data is collected, stored, and reported on anonymously. We ask questions about visas, housing, employment, and even finances, together with demographic questions which help us understand if certain members of the Ukrainian community are more at risk. The aim, however, is to capture the big picture, not to zoom in on individuals.

We want to use this data to produce robust, evidence-backed reports, and circulate them to stakeholders across central and local government. Our publications will never identify individuals. Whenever we will refer to case studies we will remove all identifying details, and ensure that participants have given us consent. 

About the project team

We are a team of charity professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting the Ukrainian community in the UK. This project was the result of many hours of work by the Work Rights Centre, our volunteers, and our colleagues at the Ukraine Advice Network (UAN) and the Ukraine Advice Project (UAP). We thank everyone at the UAN and UAP for their gracious contribution. Any errors are our own, and please don't hesitate to contact the Work Rights Centre research team with feedback. 

How can I get support

If you need help with immigration, employment, housing, or accessing benefits in the UK, contact us. We will do our best to support you, or refer you to a suitably qualified colleague at the Ukraine Advice Network or the Ukraine Advice Project.

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