[Here is the article content:
Yana Felos, a 34-year-old Ukrainian mother, arrived in London with her six-year-old daughter Alisa in April 2022, fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She had no friends or family in the UK and had to start her new life from scratch. Since then, Felos has built a new life for herself and her daughter in London, securing her own apartment and a job teaching English.
Despite the opportunities she has found in London, Felos has given up hope of returning to Ukraine, where she believes it is not safe for her to raise a family. Her husband, who remained in Ukraine, couldn’t leave and they finalized their divorce. Felos is among the 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees who remain abroad, mostly in Europe, and every day she thinks about what will happen if her British government doesn’t extend her refugee visa in 2025.
The Ukrainian government is trying to encourage refugees to return, setting up a Ministry of National Unity to create programs and incentives to encourage people overseas to come home. President Volodymyr Zelensky has also been speaking about the need to end the conflict in 2025 and has invited Ukrainians abroad to return and help with the country’s defense industry.
However, many Ukrainians who have fled are struggling to adapt to their new lives abroad and are worried about the economic consequences of the war. Ukraine is experiencing a brain-drain and the economy is struggling due to the conflict. Economists believe that every month of the “hot” phase of the war leads to more people adapting abroad and more destruction in Ukraine, making it less likely that people will return.
Despite the challenges, some Ukrainians are eager to return to their homeland. Many have saved their entire lives to buy homes and build businesses in Ukraine, and they are reluctant to give up on their dreams. Others are waiting for schools to reopen or for schools operating underground to protect students from Russian attacks to return to normal.
Ultimately, the decision to return to Ukraine is a personal one, and many refugees are making their own choices about whether to stay or go.
Source link
