Ukrainians who fled to the UK following the Russian invasion are being denied asylum by the Home Office, who claim it is safe to return to Ukraine. Families seeking a route to settlement in the UK, which would enable them to build a life, educate their children, and improve their job and housing prospects, are being told they can relocate to other parts of Ukraine. One individual even claimed they were refused asylum despite their hometown being a war zone.
Sterling Law, a firm, stated that they receive weekly contact from Ukrainians, including vulnerable women and children, whose asylum applications have been denied. The company is currently handling multiple appeals, which results in months-long delays, leaving these individuals in a state of uncertainty.
Despite the availability of the 18-month temporary visa scheme, concerns over living arrangements continue to contribute to anxiety and distress. The firm’s solicitor, Halyna Semchak, argued that the Home Office’s revised guidance, released in January, viewing regions like Kyiv and western Ukraine as generally safe, is a concerning and growing trend that does not accurately reflect the realities in Ukraine.
Semchak also highlighted legal concerns stating that the decisions overlook the complex realities on the ground and fail to properly consider individual circumstances.
Oleksandr Zbytskyi, from Odesa, a war zone, was denied asylum despite infrastructure blackouts and missile attacks impacting his application. His family has been in the UK since August 2022, and he expressed concerns about returning to a country affected by full-scale wars, risking his family’s safety.
Kama Petruczenko, a senior policy analyst at the Refugee Council, expressed concerns about the Ukraine guidance being insufficiently flexible, affecting the ability to accurately assess regional safety in every application.
According to the latest Home Office figures, 47 asylum applications have resulted in refugee status, and 724 have received humanitarian protection since 2023. The Home Office spokesperson stated that they have offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and reassured that no one found to be at risk of serious harm would be expected to return to Ukraine.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/27/ukrainians-who-fled-to-uk-being-refused-asylum-on-grounds-it-is-safe-to-return
