Ukrainian refugees are losing hope of returning to their homeland

Ukrainian refugees in Britain are experiencing a real tragedy, and refugee Velos says that after about three years of war, the situation has changed, and she has nothing to return to in Ukraine. Velos is originally from a Russian-speaking region of eastern Ukraine, and the small community she left was shattered by war. Her grandmother moved temporarily to Belarus before the war, then stayed there when the war broke out. Her parents died years ago in London. She says some friends from home have taken a pro-Russian political path.

Velos’ last connection to Ukraine was her husband, but he could not leave, and after she had been abroad for a long time, they finally ended their marital relationship.

Philos adds: “He kept saying that the war would end.” Wait a little, wait a little. “The war will end soon and we will be together,” she said, but she had long since given up hope that Ukraine would be safe enough to raise a family there. Velos and her daughter are among 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees still abroad, most of them in Europe, and their lives are mired in uncertainty.

Every day, Philos thinks about what will happen if the British government does not extend her asylum visa in 2025.

Meanwhile, Philos was building a life in London, where she got her own apartment and a job teaching English at a “lifelong learning” centre. After the divorce, she has no intention of returning to Ukraine, and wants to focus instead on opportunities to give her six-year-old daughter, Alyssa, a brighter future.

As societies become increasingly fragmented and the economy becomes more difficult, the Ukrainian government wants to encourage those who fled as refugees – mostly women and children – to return. For this purpose, the Ministry of National Unity was established, charged with creating programs and incentives to encourage people abroad to return home.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a press conference last October: “We cannot pressure people and force them to return. “I can send a loud message to Ukrainians who are abroad to come and help and work in the defense industry, help our soldiers, pay taxes and support Ukraine.”

It comes as Ukraine struggles to boost patriotic morale among civilians and troops on the front lines, many of whom have been unable to get out for leave. Last month, Zelensky spoke of the need to end the conflict in 2025, saying: “For our part, we must do everything so that this war ends next year, through diplomatic means.”

New officials in the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump are also studying proposals to stop the war.

But as the war continues, Ukraine appears increasingly concerned about the economic consequences of population decline and the future consequences of brain drain.

Professor of Economics and Director of the Petukha Institute of Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ella Libanova, says: “Every month of the (hot) phase of the war leads to the adaptation of more people abroad, and more destruction here, and therefore fewer People will come back.” In the short term, more Ukrainians may leave. Libanova adds: “If things get really bad, we may witness another wave of migration after martial law is lifted. Men will go to their wives and children.” Under martial law, most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine. Military mobilization has expanded this year, and the overall security situation remains difficult, as Ukraine has recently been subjected to an increase in Russian ballistic missile strikes, and drone attacks have increased every month. Russia launched 2,434 drones in November alone. On one of her visits to see her ex-husband in Ukraine, Philos remembers telling her daughter that the sounds of nearby explosions were fireworks.

Russia also continues to bomb Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches, regularly striking residential areas. The Kyiv School of Economics estimates that as of January 2024, about 250,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. In a large number of cities, more than half of the homes were damaged. About CNN

. Under martial law, most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine.