Britain denies asylum to Ukrainian refugees, calling western regions safe - BBC

Since the beginning of the year, Great Britain has massively started to refuse Ukrainians permanent asylum. The country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, in its recommendations, calls the western regions of Ukraine quite safe and on this basis rejects applications, UNN writes with reference to BBC.

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Such instructions do not yet mean that Ukrainians need to leave the country immediately. Their visas can be extended for a year and a half. At the same time, many Ukrainians are waiting for an invitation to Great Britain under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The British government launched this scheme in mid-March 2022 for the first year of the war. This scheme allowed Ukrainians who had no ties to Britain to receive an invitation from sponsors — British citizens who were willing to host those fleeing the war in their homes.

Ukrainians who arrived under this scheme received the right to work and study, use state medicine, receive assistance, and live with their sponsors for at least six months for three years.

Since the launch of the scheme until March 2025, when the latest statistics were published, about 165,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Britain. For the first of them, the three-year term ended at the end of March this year — at that time, the government opened UPE (Ukraine Permission Extension), i.e., the possibility to extend the residence permit for another 18 months free of charge.

From the very beginning of the scheme's launch for Ukrainians, the British government emphasized that this was a temporary measure that provided an opportunity to wait out the war in a safe place.

We have always made it clear that programs related to Ukraine are not a way to move to the UK. This is in line with the desire of the Ukrainian government, which needs its citizens to return to help rebuild the country when it becomes safe.

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Britain changes its approach. Britain is increasingly refusing Ukrainian refugees the opportunity to live on its territory. This is argued by the fact that there are relatively safe areas in our country that are suitable for a normal and full life.

As early as November 2024, the British Interior Ministry amended immigration rules in accordance with its initial promise to Ukrainians: even if someone lives for more than ten years under the Ukrainian scheme, that person will not be able to apply for a residence permit.

At the end of January 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued updated information on the situation in Ukraine — this document is used when considering asylum applications.

The new version states that the war is mainly concentrated in eastern Ukraine, and it is unlikely that an applicant will face a risk of violence in the western regions of the country.

As a rule, freedom of movement is not restricted in territories controlled by the authorities. Most likely, a person can move to another part of the country, outside the main conflict zone.

The British consider Kyiv, as well as Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia, Ternopil, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn, and Lviv regions to be safe.

At the same time, lawyers and human rights activists say that the position of the British Ministry of Internal Affairs contradicts the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which officially recommends that British citizens do not visit Ukraine at all — regardless of the region. Here, lawyers see a dissonance between foreign policy risk assessment and migration practice.

Addition

In Germany, a noticeable decrease in the number of asylum applications is recorded. This is associated with increased border control and the return of migrants who had already started applying for asylum in other countries.