Natalia knows four languages ​​and has two degrees. But in Sweden “there is no future”

Natalia Wukova, 62, at the beginning of March They fled from Kyiv to Eskilstuna, Sweden. Like all other war refugees, she received assistance from the Swedish Migration Agency. “Most of all, you are expected to be able to support yourself“- she is reading.

– I knew from day one that I had the right to work here, which was great. However, I didn’t know at the time that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn Swedish. I don’t know anyone who would find a job without knowing the language – she said.

Refugees, according to the current Mass Migration Directive, They are not entitled to a free Swedish education in Sweden. The 62-year-old is taking language club lessons, but he thinks that’s not enough.

The woman applied for a job, but to no avail. She has two university degrees but is forced to look for a job because she thinks knowing Swedish is not necessary. The few Ukrainians you know who have been able to find a job speak English. Although Wołkowa speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Serbian, she has not yet found a job where these skills come in handy..

– I’m ready to clean stairs and floors, but I can’t find a job like that because no one wants to hire me without knowing Swedish. There are many interesting people who came here. They are artists, journalists, doctors and teachers who can come in handy – tells SVT reporters.

According to Wołkowa, many Ukrainians – despite the ongoing war – He began to return home. He also knows people who flee to other countries like Germany, Ireland and CanadaWhere, according to her knowledge, the refugees receive language lessons, and thus the opportunity to find a job and integrate.

According to the data of the Swedish Migration Agency, Since the outbreak of the war, nearly 45,000 people have applied for asylum in Sweden So far, nearly 4 thousand of them have gone to another country or returned to Ukraine.

“This trend will grow over time,” agency spokesman Diderez Melpexis said.