Ukrainian refugees who fled to the UK after Russia’s 2022 invasion are increasingly being denied asylum, with the Home Office arguing it is now safe for them to return. Refugees seeking long-term settlement are being denied with the motivation that they could move to areas such as Kyiv or western Ukraine.
The law firm Sterling Law says it receives weekly requests from Ukrainians who have been refused asylum. While a temporary visa scheme allows Ukrainians to stay for 18 months, those appealing rejections face long waits, living in limbo without clear prospects for jobs or housing.
“Legally, these decisions are deeply troubling,” Halyna Semchak, an immigration lawyer at Sterling Law said. “They overlook the complex realities on the ground and fail to engage meaningfully with individual circumstances, particularly in light of article 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
Since 2023, only 47 asylum applications from Ukrainians have resulted in refugee status, with 724 granted humanitarian protection.
