Ukrainian Refugees Observe Third Christmas Away From Home

Olesia Manolova, a mother of two, is observing her third Christmas in Omagh, having been displaced from her home in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in early 2022. The self-employed marketing manager indicated that the Christmas period intensified the difficulty of her family’s situation. Ms. Manolova expressed concern that her return to Ukraine might be delayed for several years. She stated, “When I came here I thought it would take one or two months and then I would return but now I understand it will take longer.” Ms. Manolova, who has an eight-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son, further mentioned, “I think about home more, I recently found photos on my phone of Santa’s residence in Kyiv, where we are from.” She added, “It was a great day with Santa and the kids and I don’t know when we can enjoy a Christmas like that again with the kids in Ukraine.” The Executive Office reported that by June 2022, a few months after the full-scale Russian invasion commenced, 825 Ukrainians were residing in Northern Ireland under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme. By November 2024, this number had increased to 3,397. This figure included individuals benefiting from the Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES), which allowed Ukrainians to prolong their stay. Similar to many Ukrainian parents, Ms. Manolova voiced apprehension regarding her children’s potential adaptation to life back in Ukraine if their time in Northern Ireland extended. She stated, “The main concerns of all Ukrainian parents for their kids is that as they get older they may have to join the Ukrainian army, especially the boys.” She continued, “If we return to Ukraine, I am not sure that my kids can adapt to the educational system. “My daughter only started school here and she doesn’t know the Ukrainian programme.” She added, “My son started English at school in Ukraine for him it wasn’t so easy but it was easier than for my daughter. “When she came here she was six and all she could say was thank you and hello and goodbye.” Mary Lafferty, who established the Empowering Refugees and Newcomers Organisation (ERANO) in the Fermanagh and Omagh area three years ago, noted that individuals arriving from traumatic backgrounds often find it challenging to settle. The organization was initially founded to assist Syrian Refugees and subsequently broadened its scope to support all new communities in the area. She observed, “The Ukrainians coming here use this centre as a meeting point, not just for practical purposes of form filling etc, but to meet socially as well.” Lafferty added, “They run their own women’s group here, so they do meet a lot to socialise .” She further stated, “They are confident ladies, some had their own businesses but they have lost everything, their homes, families and businesses.” Lafferty concluded, “They may look confident but it’s a fragile exterior – a lot of them are still traumatised.” Lafferty noted that the women continuously monitored news reports, expressing concern for their families and those remaining in Ukraine. She explained, “They see what’s happening in Ukraine now and it takes very little for them to break down and start to get emotional about it.” Lafferty also highlighted, “There is also the worry that that they don’t have any security here from the UK government, as to whether they can stay here or if they can every become residents, so everything is very precarious for them.” In a statement, the Home Office reiterated its consistent position that the Ukraine schemes offer temporary sanctuary in the UK solely for the duration of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and do not constitute a pathway to permanent settlement in the UK. It further indicated that the government has introduced a new initiative, set to open for applications in February, which will permit Ukrainians currently holding permission under an existing Ukraine scheme to apply for an additional 18-month stay in the UK upon the expiration of their current visas. Fuzova Yuliia, also located in Omagh and a mother of three, expressed her hope of eventually returning to Ukraine. She remarked, “My parents are at home in Ukraine and it’s very sad that I can’t be at home, it’s a beautiful country with beautiful people.” Yuliia continued, “I don’t know what will be in the future, at the moment we live in the present time, we are trying to adapt here, learning English but I I think we can return.” She added, “I am an optimist in every situation and I hope for best. ” She further stated, “On a daily basis drones attack my town, my people. ” Yuliia concluded, “My body is here but my soul is in Ukraine with my people, my relatives, my friends.”