A website aimed at supporting Ukrainians who have fled Putin’s invasion and who are without work in other European countries has been launched.
JobsForUkraine.net already hosts about 2,000 positions across academia, industry and the arts. Recruiters, universities and arts institutions are encouraged to post suitable opportunities on the website.
About 1.8 million people have so far fled the Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Companies and recruiters are in many countries offering relocation support in the form of visa sponsorships, travel expenses, initial accommodation and relocation bonuses. Other companies are guaranteeing fast-turn around for applicants, meaning people affected by war don’t have to wait to find out whether their application has been successful.
Other jobs listed are remote opportunities or vacancies for Ukrainian speakers. The website said the art sector has also been quick to react, with art residencies open for applicants from Ukraine.
Valeriia Voshchevska, a Ukrainian living in London and co-creator of Jobs For Ukraine, said: “From the moment Russian troops set foot in Ukraine, my life and that of many Ukrainians changed forever and will never be the same again. My world now revolves around doing as much as I possibly can to support people back at home and those fleeing my homeland.
“Speaking to friends and family from Ukraine, it’s devastating to hear how many have lost everything that sustained their families and their lives. That’s why we’ve created JobsForUkraine.net, so that people can take the first steps to rebuilding their lives. Ukrainians fleeing the war simply want to be able to support themselves and employment is crucial for this.”
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The UK has been under fire over its refusal to allow many Ukrainian refugees to enter the country, with individuals and companies not as yet able to sponsor Ukrainians who wish to come from to the UK. The European Union has, by contrast, allowed visa-free travel for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.
However, from 15 March, under the the Ukraine Family Scheme, applicants with passports who wish to join family members in the UK will no longer have to travel to a visa application centre but will be able to complete applications online.
Visa application centres will then be freed up to help those without passports, according to home secretary Priti Patel, who told MPs on 10 March: “The process is absolutely vital in terms of the verification, notification and permission to travel, but importantly to give people the status when they come to the United Kingdom to have that right to work, the right to access and benefits, and also the digital verification of their status.”
While eastern European countries have taken in Ukrainian refugees by the hundreds of thousands, Germany has so far registered about 80,000; Italy 20,000 and France nearly 10,000. The UK meanwhile has only allowed a few hundred applicants to enter.
Voshchevska said: “The Home Office has so far only accepted 300 Ukrainian refugees into the UK – a staggeringly low number. We need to be doing everything we can to help people fleeing war and help people find viable employment.”
She pointed to the UK’s skills crisis and said that instead of helping Ukrainians and others in need of jobs into vacancies, the government was turning asylum seekers away in Calais.
Voshchevska added she would like to see more UK companies offering relocation support and help with visas.
“Our next step will be advocating for employers in the UK to start relocation initiatives and help as many people to safety and employment,” she added.
Nikita Logachev, website developer for JobsForUkraine.net, said: “Whether scientist, teacher, marketer, or dancer, over a million people have had their lives upended in Ukraine.
“In today’s world, it’s relatively rare for a bit of code to have a direct, positive, timely impact on someone’s livelihood, but I hope that this site does just that for those affected.”
Another jobs board that Ukrainian refugees can use is run by Talent Beyond Boundaries Talent, which invites those displaced by the crisis to register at its talentcatelog in order to be considered for international employment.
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