Ukrainian family reunited after reversal of visa changes

Visa changes in January that prevented Ukrainian from bringing their children to join Britain, reversing hundreds of families that they could eventually get them again.

Ivan Witin and his wife Olesia Aladko had been preparing their children for months to join Britain.

The family is close to the Russian border from the Kharkiv region of Eastern Ukraine, and left his seven-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter with Ivan’s parents, while he found a suitable house to live.

Parents – who came to the UK in May 2023 as a strawberry picker on seasonal activists visa – planned to work as sponsors for their children under homes for the Ukraine scheme, which allows people to host people in the UK.

Originally living in a caravan, it was several months ago when he found a family house to rent.

But in February last year – without warning – the previous orthodox government changed the eligibility rules, so only British or Irish citizens or people with the right to live in Britain could be permanently served as sponsors.

Speaking through a translator, Ivan said, “We worked so hard to reunite with children and then we were not able to all night.”

“The dream was shattered into pieces, we did not know what to do.”

Meanwhile, his children were trapped in Ukraine, living with the sound of explosions with just 50 km (31 mi) sounds from the battlefield.

The pair tried hard without success to find British sponsors for their children.

Instead they were facing with scammers, asking for thousands of pounds in exchange for their help.

Eventually he was kept in contact with the settlement, which helps Ukrainian with the visa process.

Charity advised himself to apply as sponsors to nominate a visa, despite the new rules, the house office will make an exception.

But his application was left in limbo without any decision, so it could not be challenged.

“Every day we checked our email,” Ivan says, describing the wait as “painful”.

Then in January, the government announced that it was reversing the changes brought under conservatives, so Ukrainians may once again sponsor their children to join the UK.

When Ivan and Olesia received an email, they were approved when their children’s visas were confirmed.

“I can’t explain that feeling,” Ivan says. “This was the best feeling in the world.”

Many settled people have supported Ukrainian families such as Ivan and Olesia, who are now beginning to approve their applications.

But other people who expect to bring relatives like brother -in -law or parents are separated.

Although Ukraine has indicated its desire to enter peace talks, the US has emphasized to end the war, Britain has given the Ukrainians the right to apply to live in the country for another 18 months.

While Ivan hopes that his family may return to Ukraine one day, he says: “Even though the war stopped tomorrow, there is no certainty for our region.”

For Olesia, being with her children means that she can now start rebuilding her life in Britain.

She says, “Maybe there is no other feeling like putting your children next to you. You don’t worry;

“You sleep peacefully and wake up peacefully because your children are next to you, and nothing else is needed.”