Ukrainian refugee forced to reject jobs due to four-month visa delay

Viktoriia (L) and Audrey (R) struggled to obtain a visa extension from the Home Office (Image: Derbyshire Live)A Ukrainian refugee spent months unable to work and feared being sent back to a war zone due to Home Office delays.Since arriving in England on June 6, Viktoriia Molotkova has been living with Audrey Macduff and her husband Malcolm in Quarndon, Derbyshire.However, four months after completing her biometric testing, the 23-year-old had still not been granted a visa extension.She was forced to reject job offers as she could not prove she would be in the country after December 6, when her six-month visa expired.Viktoriia and Audrey contacted UKVI, the Red Cross, Citizens Advice, a lawyer, the biometric residence permit (BRP) department, their local MP, the council, and POUKR to try and get an answer as to what was taking so long.After no success, Audrey contacted Derbyshire Live on Friday, November 11, who contacted the Home Office on November 15.Audrey learned via email yesterday, November 16, that Viktoriia had been granted leave to stay until 2025.The nightmare process involved Viktoriia attempting to have her biometric testing done—required by all immigrants in order to obtain a permit to stay—three times.The pair are now relieved by the news that she can stay.Viktoriia is alone in England, with her parents in Lviv and her boyfriend and sister in Kyiv.With no BRP, she was not allowed to leave England and come back again, and she did not want to go and get stuck in Ukraine while the war rages on.Speaking on Saturday, November 12, before the right to remain had been issued, she said through tears: “I haven’t seen my family for five months. I don’t know what’s going to happen next over there.”It’s dangerous there right now, and as time goes on, it gets more and more dangerous. Kyiv has no energy.”I want to see them now because if I go later, I might not be able to get back to England and be safe.”It’s difficult. I’m trying to be a normal person in a normal situation. I’m trying to get a job. I’m trying to be strong. But it’s difficult.”Having previously worked in architecture back home and now looking for a job in social media marketing, she has had to turn down both internships and part-time work after having been offered positions, due to the situation.She goes to English classes on the weekends. Even so, they were asking for her BRP so they could sign her up properly.Audrey had said: “You either go round in a circle or you hit a brick wall. I just can’t get through to anybody. I’m just frustrated with the situation we’ve been put in. I have no idea if I’m going to be harbouring an illegal immigrant in less than three weeks.”I think it’s appalling. Neither of us is sleeping terribly well because we’re worrying. We’re under a lot of stress and anxiety. I’m not sure now if we feel safe continuing housing her beyond the six months because we have no idea of her status. We’ve tried everything we can think of. But there is no way to access the home office.”Her story is very similar to that of Dariia and Iryna Lishman, whose BRPs finally arrived in October after Derbyshire Live contacted the Home Office about their delay.They were stuck in Ukraine after being stopped from getting on a plane back to England, having returned to renew an expiring passport.The Home Office was approached for comment but redirected us to the department for Levelling Up.They did not provide an official statement but advised that there was no record of a BRP application for Viktoriia until October 28, despite the fact that she was provided with an application number when she applied in July.