A COUPLE\u00a0who settled in Glasgow after fleeing war-torn Ukraine say they feel \u2018unemployable\u2019 as they struggle to secure jobs.<\/p>\n
Oleksii\u00a0Koliukh, 31, and his wife Ana\u00a0Bohuslavska, 31, came to Scotland when Russia invaded their home near Ukraine\u2019s capital, Kyiv.<\/p>\n
The couple, who live in Pollok<\/a>, have spoken of the struggle to find permanent work. They face a similar situation to many\u00a0Ukrainians who came to Scotland after the war began in 2022 and are now seeing their initial visas expire.<\/p>\n To stay longer, they\u2019re applying under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, which lets them live, work, and study in the UK for another 18 months \u2014 but it doesn\u2019t offer a path to stay permanently.<\/p>\n This situation has left many struggling to secure long-term employment, as the restrictions render them \u2018unemployable\u2019.<\/p>\n Oleksii and Ana\u00a0(Image: Supplied)Oleksii said: \u201cWhen the government announced the visa extension, it didn\u2019t change much for us.<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel discriminated against compared to other refugees. We also feel unwelcome, as if we don\u2019t deserve the chance to stay\u2014despite working, paying taxes, renting or paying a mortgage.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know people who want to start businesses here\u00a0too, even students who don\u2019t have enough time to complete their education.\u201d<\/p>\n Software engineer Oleksii was told that he wouldn\u2019t be able to proceed with his application for a job recently as the company consider him only available short-term.<\/p>\n Ana, who\u2019s a Videographer, has been actively looking for work for the past year and a half, but says it\u2019s been hard due to the temporary visas.<\/p>\n Having now settled in Glasgow\u2019s Southside<\/a>, however, they have developed a love for the city, Oleksii said:\u00a0“The people were incredibly kind when we came here.<\/p>\n “Locals did whatever they could to help, and charities stepped in with essentials like clothes and toiletries. Food banks were also a great help.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really enjoy Glasgow\u2014especially the abundance of green spaces and the fantastic museums.\u201d<\/p>\n In a survey conducted among Ukrainian displaced people in early December 2024 by the Ukraine Collective, 57.5% stated that visa uncertainty negatively impacts their ability to find or retain employment.<\/p>\n Olha\u00a0Maksymiak, an Adviser on Matters of People Displaced from Ukraine in Scotland, said: \u201cMany face rejections even at the interview stage\u2014if their visa is set to expire soon, securing a permanent contract, undergoing training, or advancing in their profession becomes nearly impossible. It leaves them virtually unemployable on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n \u201cThe constant fear of losing their job and housing has left people emotionally exhausted. This is particularly painful for single parents who are trying to provide stability for their children.<\/p>\n \u201cMany are forced to accept temporary jobs far below their qualifications, serving only as a means of earning some income.\u201d<\/p>\n Olha Maksymiak\u00a0(Image: Supplied)Iryna\u00a0Lutsyshyn\u00a0is a qualified lawyer with over eight years of experience and has been looking for a job for the past two and a half years.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old, who\u2019s settled in Coatbridge, said: \u201cIn November of last year, I attended an interview for a legal secretary position at a small law firm in Glasgow. The interview went well, and towards the end, my potential employer inquired about my eligibility to work in the UK and the duration of my visa.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m currently allowed to work until July this year and can only apply for a visa extension no earlier than 28 days before its expiration.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter I explained this, they said that while I was a strong candidate for the role, they required assurance that I could work on a permanent basis.\u201d<\/p>\n This assurance is something that some refugees are unable to provide with the current visa restrictions.<\/p>\n Oleksii and Ana’s hometown, Irpin, has been devastated by the war (Image: Supplied)Scottish Greens<\/a> Justice, Equalities, Social Justice and Human Rights spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP, said: \u201cUkrainian refugees deserve to be here. Offering no permanent option doesn\u2019t just threaten their stability but is an insult to the lives they\u2019ve built here.<\/p>\n \u201cThis short-term extension scheme is a needless barrier, offering no security. It will punish people who are already facing a great humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cThe war is still not over \u2013 they still need somewhere, out of the warzone, to call home.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Keir Starmer wants to show that he isn\u2019t just Donald Trump\u2019s doormat and really does support Ukraine, he\u2019ll offer some stability to its refugees with the opportunity to make their UK home permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n A Scottish Government<\/a> spokesperson said: \u201cImmigration is a reserved matter for the UK Government<\/a>. While the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme will give displaced people some stability, what has been announced falls short of what Ukrainians need to overcome the barriers created by short-term visas.<\/p>\n \u201cWe support an approach that offers Ukrainians the ability to make informed choices about their future and would encourage them to apply for the extension scheme before their existing visa expires.\u201d<\/p>\n