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14th March 2024
01:12pm GMT
A Ukrainian refugee who went back to Kyiv after initially fleeing the city in hopes of a better life, has cited the terrible housing she was given in the UK as the reason for her reluctant homecoming.
Taisiia, who moved to Swansea in June 2022 with her then seven-month-old daughter Solomiia, came to the UK as part of the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members to apply for permission to come to this country to escape the conflict in their homeland.
Her husband Dmutro stayed in Kyiv to work, splitting the family apart.
Initially, Taisiia stayed in hotels in Swansea until she was offered social housing by the local council in the Mumbles area of the city.
After viewing the property, Taisiia told Wales Online that she refused to live there because the condition of the property was so bad.
"There were a lot of holes in the walls and floors, it smelt of dog wee and the radiator was leaking," she said.
"To be honest the basement in Kyiv was in better condition."
Taisiia then made the difficult decision to return to Kyiv with her daughter, despite the risks involved.
"We went back to Kyiv for 21 days, but we didn't sleep because of the attacks.
"We felt like zombies as a result," she added.
After comparing options, Taisiia paid £2,000 of her own money to local volunteers in Swansea to renovate the house.
Locals in Mumbles helped to put down new flooring, plaster walls and paint. Taisiia said she was incredibly grateful.
"If there wasn't this help from people I think we would be living in Kyiv, despite it being unsafe. We are so grateful for all the help we have been given," she said.
"July for me was the most horrible month in my life, it was so hard to organise the house with a little baby alone, it was very very hard."
Taisiia has since returned to Swansea with Solimiia, and credits the hard work of the local people for improving the quality of her and her daughter's lives.
Despite the news of an 18-month visa extension which was announced in February, asylum seekers like Taisiia still feel a lot of uncertainty about their future.
This uncertainty was referenced by immigration and asylum law lecturer Jennifer Morgan from Cardiff University, who said that Ukrainians in Wales still faced a “worrying time” despite escaping the dangers of their home country.
She says for those who are struggling to access housing and education, the extension simply “pushes issues further down the road”.
Despite the difficulty of being away from her husband and wider family, Taisiia is attempting to make a life for herself and her daughter in Wales.
She is currently attending a college course so that she can transfer her psychology qualifications to the UK, and Solomiia has received a grant to attend nursery.
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