Britain has begun to massively deny Ukrainians permanent asylum
8 August 11:47
Since the beginning of 2025, the United Kingdom has dramatically changed its approach to Ukrainian refugees, beginning to deny permanent asylum on a massive scale. The Home Office justifies its decisions by saying that the western regions of Ukraine are safe enough for them to return. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the BBC.
The first refusals of permanent asylum for Ukrainians in the UK began to arrive only in May, so no appeal cases have yet reached the court. The first hearings are expected to take place in the fall.
“All asylum and human rights applications are carefully considered on their merits in accordance with our international obligations. No one who is in serious danger will be forced to return to Ukraine,” the Home Office emphasized, adding that Ukrainians can extend their visas for another year and a half.
Homes for Ukraine program: temporary protection
Ukrainians were granted asylum under the Homes for Ukraine program, which was launched by the UK in mid-March 2022. Thanks to this program, Ukrainians who had no ties to the UK could receive invitations from sponsors – British citizens who were willing to host those fleeing the war.
Ukrainians who arrived under this program – about 165,000 of them – were entitled to work and study for three years, use public healthcare, receive social benefits, and live with their sponsors for at least six months. But now the government has reminded them that Homes for Ukraine is a temporary measure that allows them to wait out the war in a safe place.
“We have always been clear that Ukraine-related programs are not a way to immigrate to the UK. This is in line with the aspirations of the Ukrainian government, which wants its citizens to return and help rebuild the country when it is safe to do so,” official documents say.
Despite this, Ukrainians who wanted to stay technically had a chance: it is possible to obtain a permanent residence permit in the UK after ten years of legal residence.
But in November 2024, the Home Office changed the migration rules in accordance with its initial promise to Ukrainians: even if someone lives for more than ten years under the Ukrainian program, that person will not be able to apply for permanent residence.
Therefore, some Ukrainians have decided to apply for permanent status through another route. One of these options is refugee status, which is granted in case of alleged persecution based on one of the five criteria defined by the 1951 Geneva Convention: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
From the beginning of 2022 to March 2025, 1698 Ukrainians (including 2727 family members) applied for asylum in the UK.
During this period, at least 729 positive decisions were made, and in the vast majority of cases, it was a matter of granting humanitarian protection.
111 applicants were rejected, 85 of them in the first quarter of 2025, which may indicate a change in the Home Office’s position.
The controversial logic of “security”
At the end of January 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs released updated recommendations on the situation in Ukraine. Kyiv and seven western regions were determined to be relatively safe: Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia, Ternopil, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn, and Lviv.
The reality, however, is radically different from official assessments. Even the western regions of Ukraine are subject to constant shelling. on July 31, a Russian strike in Kyiv killed more than 30 people and injured more than 150.
In the summer, strikes were also carried out in Lviv, Chernivtsi, Lutsk, and Ternopil.
Alternatives in the EU and prospects for appeals
Unlike the UK, the EU has extended temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2027, offering pathways to long-term stay through national work and study permits. For example, the Czech Republic introduced a separate path to long-term status for Ukrainians.
The European Commission has proposed to take into account all legal experience, including the period of temporary protection, for obtaining long-term resident status,” the report says.
The first appeal hearings on asylum denials for Ukrainians are expected in the fall of 2025.
