Government Support for Ukrainians

Sarah Russell Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Martin Wrigley]

Absolutely.

I would like to give a couple of stories from Ukrainians here. I am keeping an eye on the time. This is from Anya Glebova in north Devon, who is hosted by Julie. I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker, for using the word “you”. These are her words:

“How do you live during the war? And can a person who has not experienced it understand us? I think not, because I myself did not believe that such a thing is possible in our time. But it turns out it is possible. That morning will remain in my memory for a long time, when I woke up to collect the children for school and a man who was in Odessa called and said that the war had begun, they were shelling us. To say that it was horror would be an understatement, but a completely different life began for us.

Since no one expected this, panic began: empty shelves in stores, lights going out and terrible alarm signals. My children and I went to bed dressed, so that at night during the alarm we could quickly run to the basement where we decided to hide. A suitcase with documents was constantly packed in the basement; there were warm things and blankets. When you hear a rocket, your thoughts are about the children and how to save them. Missile alarms become our daily routine: children playing hear the alarm and run to the basement or to the house where we made a small shelter. My husband was invited to the military registration and enlistment office, and taken to war. We were left alone at home without support and with constant worry.

Why did we decide to move? Because as a mother, I want a peaceful life for my children. I want them to sleep peacefully and study, so that they can see life. When I arrived here, not only the children but also I was afraid when a helicopter flew overhead. We saw a plane overhead when with my son in the garden, and it flew very low. I froze and when I turned around I saw my son, who was sitting by a tree, screaming at me. The horror of war cannot be put into words. It is when you go to sleep and don’t know whether you will wake up. It is when life can end in a minute. This is universal, since every day brought its own experiences, pain and despair. It cannot be described.

My husband made the decision for us to leave Ukraine, probably because he sees much more. For me, it was a difficult step, firstly, to leave my husband without support. He sometimes came home for two days, and it was always a holiday for our family. Secondly, to leave the home where the children grew up, where there were dreams, where every corner has its own story. But the safety of the children came first, so we decided to leave. Not knowing the language and taking a backpack with us, we set off for the UK, where our host Julie met us. A new stage in our lives began.

Thanks to Julie, we gradually got to know, and continued to get to know, the local system. My daughter immediately went to school where she was happily accepted, and she began to meet new classmates. Recently, she saw a plane high in the sky, took a picture and sent it to her father, saying that it was a piece of peaceful sky. My son is preparing to enter college, is studying English and going to the gym. I was almost immediately offered a job, where I work without knowing English. A foreign country, unfamiliar customs, lack of knowledge of the language—all this is covered by the sensitivity and care of people around us. The Ukrainian diaspora supports everyone, learning the language, helping to solve problems and always being in touch. Thank you for giving a peaceful sky to our children!”

[Sarah Russell (Congleton) (Lab)]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He talks about children. There are children in my constituency who came here as very small children and have only ever been in the English education system. Their parents are deeply concerned about what will happen to them going forward, so it would be appropriate for us to look to put in place permanent measures as soon as humanly possible. I am sure he would also want to join me in thanking the host families in my constituency, who I am so proud of and grateful to, and Refugees Welcome, which continues to work to help Ukrainian families integrate in our community.

[Martin Wrigley]

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention and I absolutely agree.

I want briefly to mention another story. This is of Mariia and Ksenia in north Devon, written by their host Helen. I apologise for my Ukrainian pronunciation. They said:

“On 21 June Oleh Yurash age 28 was killed in Sumy in a missile strike. He was the husband of Liudmyla Yurash also 28 and father to Roman, four years old. Liudmyla is the sister of Mariia and Ksenia Yurash, my adult guests. He was almost unrecognisable. Mariia and Ksenia travelled back to Ukraine to attend his funeral. Liudmyla was also carer for their mother, who recently had a stroke.

The girls’ father wants them to stay in the UK, where Mariia and her daughter are safe from the war, especially as Mariia is a single mother and the Russians have been kidnapping children. Mila is settled in the only school she has known, starting year 3 in September.

Ksenia is studying in order to be able to go to university. There is little education in Ukraine at the moment. They have already lost a brother and their father is fighting for his country. The thing that keeps him going is that his two younger daughters are safe. I hope that you can get the Government to see that we need to carry on supporting our Ukrainian family.”

I asked the Prime Minister last week about extending the scheme, and the Home Secretary was asked about it in a Select Committee on 3 June. However, the situation is changing. Ukraine’s Government publicly changed their position in late May, asking all Governments where Ukrainians have sought safety and sanctuary since spring 2022 to provide them with a choice: to remain where their lives are being rebuilt or to return to Ukraine when it is safe to do so.