Last week saw the running of both Working Group 2 and 3 of the Ukraine Policy Network. Working group 2 covered the obstacles facing Ukrainians with regards to accessing employment and access to education – with a particular focus on the difficulties of returning to professional practice following displacement, and the negative impacts of the loss of professional identity. Working Group 3 looked at the mental health challenges facing Ukrainians as a direct result of their displacement and the difficulties associated with forced relocation. Alongside this, Working Group 3 also considered the regulatory hurdles facing displaced Ukrainian mental health professionals looking to support other people using their professional expertise and lived experience. The meetings revolved around presentations from academics and practitioners on a wide range of topics (see the agendas below).
Taking place only 2 days apart, and attended by much the same group of core researchers and practitioners, the intersection between the two discussions was obvious. As was the other ubiquitous thread underlying it all: visa precarity and the lack of a secure long-term future.
It’s increasingly difficult, as temporary protection extends to almost four years, to separate the major challenges faced by Ukrainians in the UK from the visa question. While it’s true to say Ukrainians have adapted well, given the uncertain nature of their time in the UK, it becomes increasingly difficult to plan for your personal and professional development, secure higher education placements and funding, access professional requalification – or commit to the time and financial investment. For people with strong and well-developed professional identities, it also becomes increasingly hard to work in low-skilled jobs – further negatively impacting their mental health. Beyond the impacts of precarity, it’s evidently impossible to separate the many problems caused but the short visa term itself, with regards to accessing the employment, and educational resources needed to better adapt to life in the UK.
While the there are practical measures that can be taken to try to mitigate the negative consequences of the operational aspects of the Ukraine scheme, only significant structural change can address the interlocking complex issues facing Ukrainians. Soon, younger arrivals will have spent a significant portion of their development here, adults will have spent time and money investing in a future for themselves and their families. The need to provide them with a stable foundation for those futures – grows with each passing day.
By Nick Wysoczanskyi
Agendas for the Meetings
Working Group 2: Employment and Skills (9 February 2026)
Sara Jones (University of Birmingham), Accessibility of the job market for displaced Ukrainians
Olha Maksymiak (Co-Founder Integravia Foundation, Advisor on Matters of People Displaced from Ukraine in Scotland), Displaced Ukrainian doctors and pharmacists
Roman Bazechuk (NEC Planning Solutions), Presentation on practitioner views on underemployment
Marianna Vaszilyiv (Growth Company and United for Ukraine), United for Ukraine initiative
Working Group 3: Mental Health and Wellbeing (11 February 2026)
Irina Kuznetsova (University of Birmingham), Mental health of displaced Ukrainians
Olga Lutsyshyn (Health & Wellbeing Working Group of the Cross-Party Group on Ukraine in Scottish Parliament), Psychological support and stress level among Ukrainians in Scotland
Olga Lutsyshyn (Health & Wellbeing Working Group of the Cross-Party Group on Ukraine in Scottish Parliament), Displaced Ukrainian psychologists and psychotherapists: Recognition of qualifications
Ukrainian Voice UK 
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