Future Of British Business

Ukraine Refugees Face Dwindling Job Opportunities in the UK

Visa problems and a cooling labor market are the latest obstacles to getting and keeping jobs.

Despite the troubles Ukrainians are facing, studies indicate that investing in refugees pays off.

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Merely weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the British government mobilized to offer asylum to people fleeing the conflict. Now refugees are struggling to find the high-quality jobs that their qualifications deserve.

As the Russo-Ukrainian war grinds into its third year, visas issued to first arrivals are approaching expiry just as the UK labor market cools and general interest in helping Ukrainians wanes. “Everything has changed. We’re not on the news anymore,” said Diana Kocheva, a refugee who helms a community of displaced Ukrainian tech workers based in London.