A new survey suggests that more than half of adults who fled Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion want to stay living in the UK - even when it is safe to return to their home country.
Research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that 52 per cent of those asked said they want to carry on living in the UK. It was based on data collected from 10,709 people aged 18 and above between 27 April and 15 May 2023.
The survey found that 70 per cent of people described their personal connection to the UK as being “somewhat strong” or “very strong”. The most common reason given for wanting to stay was because there are more opportunities for work in the UK (60 per cent).
Other reasons given were that they want to be in an English-speaking country (48 per cent), and the belief that the quality of life is better in the UK than it will be in Ukraine (47 per cent). Those more likely to report intending to live in the UK even when Ukraine is considered safe tended to be aged between 18 and 49, paying for their own accommodation, employed or self-employed and proficient in English.
Just over a quarter (28 per cent) of adults said they intend to return to Ukraine when they feel it is safe to do so, with 68% of those people saying they would leave the UK as soon as they felt it was safe.
Among those who said they were unsure as to which country they intend to live in most of the time, the majority said greater clarity for visa options for staying in the UK (60 per cent) and more information on what life would be like in Ukraine (53 per cent) would help them to decide.
All those surveyed had been granted a visa under the Government schemes launched in the wake of Russia’s invasion, namely the Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme. Government data up to June 27 suggests that 233,600 Ukraine scheme visas has been issued, and 178,900 visa-holders had arrived in the UK.
Of those surveyed, the most common industries in which they worked were hospitality (26 per cent), manufacturing or construction (13%) and food production such as agriculture and farming (10 per cent). More than half (58 per cent) of adults work in a different sector in the UK, compared with the sector in which they were working in Ukraine.
In their home country, the most common industries adults worked in were teaching and education (12 per cent), information technology and communication (12 per cent) and retail (12 per cent).
Some 52 per cent of adults said they were now working in the UK, lower than the 77 per cent who had been working when in Ukraine.
Fewer adults (3 per cent) were unemployed and actively seeking work when in Ukraine, compared with a quarter (26 per cent) of adults now unemployed in the UK, the ONS said. It added that of those not currently working in the UK, almost two thirds (63 per cent) were very likely or likely to look for work in the next 30 days.
Just over a third (34 per cent) of adults have changed address since coming to the UK, the survey found, most commonly because they can now afford to live in their own accommodation without being hosted (25 per cent).
