So, I made the decision to apply for refugee status. And, it would seem, the heaviest is already behind, but no. It turned out that being in the country I did not know where to go with my request. I lived in a small village called Moy and visited the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast, a couple of times. I never went to the local government agencies and didn’t even know where they are.
You may say, so what’s the problem if you have the internet and you can speak English! And you’d be right. Exactly until you start looking for information about where to go. And you won’t find it. I spent the whole day looking for any information and found nothing but charities, red cross numbers and free legal advice. The nearest Home Office on the map was in Glasgow, Scotland. Naturally, going to Glasgow was far, long, expensive, doubtful. So I spent the next day calling all the numbers. And didn’t achieve anything either 🙈
All the organizations I called gave me new numbers that I had to call again. No one could help me, some advised me to go to Glasgow or to local police station. But I couldn’t believe that there was no organisation in Northern Ireland that handled the cases of asylum-seekers. So I kept calling for the next couple of days. And in one organization, I was given an address where there may be a Home Office, “but not for sure”. Finally I decided to go to Belfast and ended up with these options:
1. Check the address of the Home Office and if it is there, request asylum.
2. Seek help from the Red Cross in Belfast.
3. As a last resort, contact the Belfast police station.
It was incredibly hard for me to leave my home for nowhere and go to Belfast, I felt as if there was nothing left of my life. Fortunately, I found the Home Office in Belfast at the exact address I was given. That was just the beginning of my path..
And you often give up if you do not find information, or continue to search?
refugeenotes 
Praying for you!Carla
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Thank you 🤗
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Praying for you!Carla
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My heart goes out to you. May God guide your way in the UK. ❤
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Thank you 🤗
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Hello, dear how are you doing
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What a nightmare. The best we Brits can do is campaign and support organisations like Refugee Action, The Refugee Council with donations where possible, and supporting their various campaigns in whatever way we can.
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I believe that the UK is really doing a lot to support not only Ukrainians, but all refugees in general ☺️🙏
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As a community, for sure. As a government, rather less…
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Hello, dear how are you doing
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It’s a pity🥺
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But I found it, so everything is okay now ☺️🎉
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Thank God
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Hello, dear how are you doing
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We admire your ambition and perseverance!
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Thank you 🤗
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Sofia! Again: You are not a refugee!!!
You arrived in NI for whatever private reason, not as a refugee. That the political situation in Ukraine would change while you’re abroad, nobody could know back then. Also, as a resident of Crimea, you were not in any danger at no time during the Russian military action.
In fact is Crimea the most safest space in the whole Ukraine. You are well protected by the Russian army and you live under a democratic govt, and can do whatever you please. That includes come and go at any time, every day of the week, by all means you choose. Car, train, plane, ship. Would a refugee be able to do that? No. Only a liberated Ukrainian or a Russian passport holder can.
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I am glad you were able to find the right agency close to you. When my grandfather became ill with cancer on the farm in County Sligo, he and the family traveled by ferry to Glasgow to get the best medical care. He ultimately died in Glasgow and the family had to settle there.
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Yes, I was lucky enough to find everything I need close to myself.
And I’m really sorry about your grandfather. My grandfather also died because of cancer, so I understand how important to find the best medical care for such a reason 😔 Anyway hope you and your family are doing well now 🙌
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It was during WWII, Sofia, but thank you. I didn’t meet either of my grandfathers – all our family marry late.
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Hello, chatty how are you doing
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Your struggles may may it easier for the next person who desperately needs help. Keep writing!
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Thank you 🤗
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How frustrating it must be!! In this era of internet help… there is no help. Especially in a super developed country. I can understand your pain.
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Thank you 🤗
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Hello dear how are you doing
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I must say that I am pretty dogged when I want to find something. However, I am in America and have a different perspective that you. I suspect that, being in your shoes, it might be tempting to become depressed and discouraged. You are completely out of your element and it sounds as if information has not been easy to obtain. I must share with you that a friend of mine returned from a vacation to Ireland recently and she told me that there were a lot of Ukranian refugees in the town where she visited – so many in fact that they had all been housed everywhere including the hotel where she and her friends had reservations. So it was necessary for my friend to stay elsewhere during her visit. She was not upset in the least. Actually she was very impressed that Ireland had opened itself so graciously to people in need. I hope that you are finding that to be true for yourself as well. Please don’t be discouraged. Stay strong and be brave. Prayers continue for your your well being.
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Thank you ☺️
And yes, the UK really helps Ukrainians a lot and I appreciate it 🙌🙏
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Hello, Linda how are you doing
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Prayers continue for your your well being Stay strong an be brave. God blessing!
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🤗
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Prayers for u
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Thank you ☺️
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It’s lovely to see that you didn’t give up…perseverance & patience…blessings & gratitude for your sharing 💟
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Thank you ☺️
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You’re welcome 💫
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Very glad you found the home office, I tried it myself on my server and it showed that the one in Belfast had moved address! The Gov.uk website gave the updated address though, but if you don’t know what to look for, I imagine it can be quite difficult.
In answer to your question, when researching, I’ll look in a book first. If I need more information or nothing came up, then I’ll go on the internet and keep trying any variation of the subject until I find something.
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I usually start searching the internet first, not in a book. Maybe that’s why I’m less successful in searching 😅🙈
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That’s just my usual process, everyone has their own way. 🙂Internet searches tend to be better when streamlined, but I think it depends on your search engine and I’m guessing language is a factor too.
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Sometimes Life can be quite cruel, and right now it must be very overwhelming for you. But wow, you made one huge step, and I would bet that many other people would have given up. You cleared a huge hurdle – Hooray! I have always made more progress when I ask in person, vs using a phone here in my adopted country, but of course you first need to know where to go! Sometimes we meet some very special people – or witness the kindness of strangers – while navigating this maze of life.
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☺️👍
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