Page 7 - The Portal magazine - February 2025

THE P RTAL February 2025 Page 7

The third anniversary of

Russia’s invasion

of Ukraine

Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane visit
The Right Revd Kenneth Nowakowski
in M
c
azur
ar
© Marcin Mazur
© M
E HAD made our way to the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in London, well
Wactually to the Chancery Office next door. After being shown into a reception room, The Right Revd
Kenneth Nowakowski welcomed us and offered coffee.
Bishop Kenneth is a lovely, warm man. We had met visas were for about two and a half to three years.
before of course. Our first interview with him was
when the awful war in Ukraine began, when Russia This was enough time for them to have safe shelter.
invaded. Then they would go back to Ukraine. We’re almost at
the three year limit. The visas are coming to an end.
We are now coming up to the third anniversary Several months ago the UK government announced
of that terrible day. Bishop Kenneth told us that if an extension scheme of 18 months for these visas.
we reflect back three years ago today in January, we However, they must be applied for.
saw the buildup of troops on the Ukrainian border.
Everybody said that it was simply sabre rattling. Putin Bishop Kenneth said, “The easiest thing for the UK
would never invade. We should not be concerned. It government to have done would simply just granted
was all perfectly normal. Just military exercises. Russia permission to remain. But that would have signalled
was merely showing that she is serious. to the Kremlin that even the UK government does
not believe that Ukrainians will be able to return to
“We really couldn’t believe that there would be an their homeland. So, an eighteen month extension
invasion. Then we woke up to the stark reality. It was has been given. This is very important because it
on the 24th of February 2022 that Putin had invaded also means that if you are coming towards the end of
Ukraine. I think at that time we – and he - thought that your visa, you are allowed to extend your residents’
within three days or a few weeks at most, he would be contract, your flat, your work, and even education
setting up his puppet government in our capital. can also be extended. That gives you a little bit of a
breather while world leaders sort things out. I think
“We were under the impression that this invasion that there is apprehension and anxiety amongst
certainly would be over in several months. That Ukrainians in the United Kingdom, especially those
somehow the invaders would be repelled. Maybe who recently arrived, but at least they know that there
things wouldn’t go back to normal. is a mechanism for them to be able to continue to have
shelter here in the United Kingdom. They are allowed
“But then we started seeing millions and millions of to continue to work, have education, and healthcare.
people fleeing their homes; fleeing harm’s way, both These are important things for everyone.
from eastern Ukraine, but also other parts of Ukraine.
They left Ukraine for the borderlands of Poland, He continued, “Having said that, we are experiencing,
Romania, Moldavia and even further abroad.” what I’m sure everybody in Ukraine and around the
world, is experiencing; a high anxiety regarding the
Of course, displaced people started arriving in the future.
United Kingdom at the end of March. No one thought
there would eventually be over 250,000 individuals “Of course, whether it’s Ukraine or the Middle East,
that had fled Ukraine and had received shelter here in or one of the other major trouble spots in the world
the United Kingdom. They were all given temporary these are issues that we all have in the back of our
humanitarian visas, homes for free under the ‘homes minds. Children on social media hear these things.
for Ukraine’ scheme and family reunification. The Even though Ukraine be thousands of miles from
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