Last year, SWU Vice Chair Chrissie Beatty, shared her personal connection to the war in Ukraine, after welcoming Lyudmila and her young son Myroslav into her home and family. They had left their home in the Kyiv region, where her and her family had lived and worked.
Chrissie said:
“A year on, Lyudmila and Myroslav continue to live with us; I am amazed by Lyudmila’s resilience and how she has adapted to life in the UK, under such horrific circumstances. They are firmly embedded in our family now and we enjoyed celebrating Christmas together, combining Ukrainian traditions with ours. And after his turbulent early years, Myroslav is settled and doing well at school and is able to beat us all at chess!
“Despite this, Lyudmila longs for an end to the war and for the opportunity to return to Ukraine. She has not seen her family since she left and she continues to live with the daily worry about her father and brother, who continue to fight for their country and freedom. Her contact with them remains limited due to the damage in infrastructure and the occasional video calls are bittersweet reminders of the life that was taken from her by the invasion.”
The Government have said that Lyudmila, and other Ukrainian refugees, can apply for an 18 month extension to her visa, which she is grateful for, but she continues to live with the uncertainty of what her long term future will be – even if the war can be brought to an end, her home, her town, her life in Ukraine have all been reduced to rubble.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago on February 24, 2022. This war has resulted in the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War with over 10 million Ukrainians uprooted from their homes, mass destruction of civilian infrastructure, and a rapidly growing humanitarian crisis that will reverberate for generations.
Social work is underpinned by respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people. As social workers we call for peace; promote the rights and welfare of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants; and work to counter racism and social exclusion. We will continue to be vocal in our opposition to the atrocities happening in Ukraine, to call for the war to come to an end, and for Ukraine to be supported to rebuild.
SWU stands in solidarity with refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants and calls for a humane, rights-based system of support for all asylum seekers and refugees in the UK that is compliant with international law. The union also calls for an end to the Hostile Environment that treats migrants as less deserving of dignity and humanity than British citizens.
You may also be interested in reading: “SWU in solidarity with Ukraine – two years of war” and “Dog whistle narratives – xenophobia”.