Refugees "visiting home"

Try reading about what's happening on a daily basis in Ukraine and then taking your horrendous judgment elsewhere. This was from July. Does this look like a safe haven to you? https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/13/kyiv-deadly-russian-attack-hospital-ukraine

Yet you have time to spout nonsense here.

No wonder you're so ignorant if you get your 'facts' from YouTube. Christ.

There's a really informative and long running thread which will give anyone who's interested more of an insight into the situation in Ukraine here:
Ukraine Invasion: Part 51 | Mumsnet

Really? Have you seen what’s happened in West Ukraine overnight?
https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-russia-latest-putin-war-live-updates-skynews-blog-12541713

We hosted a Ukrainian family.

One day we were told that the mum was going back to Ukraine to sort out some business. Left the kids and another adult here. At the time I panicked as what would happen to the kids left here…

It ended up that they had applied for work visas for the U.K. years before the war which were rejected.

It really changed my view on a lot of things. I used to be quite left wing but not so much now… they exploit every loophole and have zero shame in doing so.

For a start the ones on this thread are renting room not dealing with the cost of a whole house. Also flights home is not the same as your understanding of tge process of a holiday

Compared to the zone of complete destruction in their home city, Kyiv is safer. It just is under attack with air raid sirens on about twice a day on average. On a good days no casualties, just injured people from debris after air defence took the rackets down.
Lately, Russian started to target water dam above the city. Breaking that would kill thousands in Kyiv only.

Is it an ok place for living? Not really. Is it so bad she should never see her relatives again? Not really.

Ukraine forbid men to leave, so the family focused their money on getting the only daughter away, while her mum decided to stay with her sons. Is it that weird?

Exactly this.

They tried to change the story when it came to Ukrainian refugees, because in their mind they were the "right" kind (white people), and they deserved to be let in. But the disgusting attitudes prevail

I do have access to YouTube obviously but I don't watch the news and I haven't got the time to sit there reading up about it. I've got a very active toddler to look after and a health condition that doesn't leave me loads of spare time to research war torn countries. Always nice to passive aggressively be called thick though

I think the misunderstanding stems from the law. Ukrainians who arrived in the UK after the Russian invasion don’t have to pass the refugee test in the Refugee Convention.

One of the limbs of this test is that the state cannot protect the person from harm. It’s off the top of my head so please someone more knowledgeable correct me if I’m wrong.

Ukrainians granted temporary leave had to prove they were in Ukraine when the invasion happened. So, while we might commonly refer to them as refugees, they did not have to pass the refugee test in the refugee convention. Meaning they aren’t doing anything legally contradictory by visiting Ukraine, even though it might seem contradictory on a different level.

Ukraine is a huge country and the Western part is not affected by war as much. From what I’ve heard from people who know the situation on the ground, it’s safe(r) to be there.

Because they won't necessarily be granted refugee status, they are willing to stay in their home country despite the danger. It's a hard and expensive trip, so sometimes refugees will send someone ahead in the hope of family reunion.

What do you think the reason is?

Well seeing as I saw something on the news yesterday about a 14yo girl sat on a park bench in Ukraine who was decapitated in front of her mother by some sort of Russian mortar attack I’d say it’s not the safest place to live.

If this girl is working, studying, supporting herself, contributing to our country via taxation and learning, why do you have such a problem with her being here?

Even if the war in Ukraine finished tomorrow and it was somehow safe for her to return home, why should she? She’s building a life for herself which as a lone female in a strange country is not an easy thing to do.

In this instance she'll have a different immigration status not asylum, but otherwise absolutely. This is a person with a job and no dependents who'll have access to any number of budget airline destinations in the border countries. It's hardly implausible for a person in that position to be able to afford the odd Ryanair or Easyjet offering.

This post highlights that it's not as black and white as many people think. It's a valid question OP; not easy to find an answer.

If her brothers have been called up she is probably afraid they'll be killed and she'll never see them again if she doesn't take the risk?

I think that would do it for most people

Every day spent in a war zone is a roll of the dice. You are more likely to be ok for a week then living there permanently.

We had a Ukrainian mum and daughter stay with us for nine months. They have now moved into a rented cottage and work hard to pay the bills. They have never claimed a penny in benefits - they are proud, hard working people. They would move back in a shot if it was safe, but their home city is Kharkiv, which if you’ve seen the news, you’ll know is on the front line.

After two years here (during which time her father died and she missed his funeral, and her granny ended up in Russian territory after a Russian land grab and was out of contact for weeks before being rescued by some very brave civilians) the mum went back to visit her family during a relatively quiet spell. When she got back here afterwards, she told me it was a terrifying experience, and she did not sleep for the week she was there. But she was desperate to see her family, so it was worth the roll of the dice. She did not let her daughter go.

Calling such a visit a holiday is brutal.

There are no commercial flights to Ukraine. It's admirable that your primary concern is airline safety, and not people going back home for whatever reason they want, those it's a weird way of saying that.

The right wing press have done a thorough job at villainising refugees and immigrants.

I went on holiday to India a few years ago. There's no way I'd want to live there. People travel to places for many reasons (adventure travel, work, family visits etc) but it doesn't mean they would want to stay longer.

The Ukranian family near us go back a couple of times a year because they have male relatives that aren't allowed to leave. One time a building near them got destroyed. It is a horrendous decision to make - never see your loved ones again or be at risk. Be grateful you don't have to make that choice.

Jesus

You are not allowed to work when you are claiming asylum, and you receive a pittance on which to survive. If you are granted asylum, you can get a job and afford holidays.

This woman is not a refugee, by the way. She has no right to remain here. Review in about 18 months.

So she can't look forward and build a life here either. Maybe, but who can plan a future on maybe. Her only permanent right to settle is still in Ukraine.