Svetlana from Kremenchug, Poltava region, came to the Michalovce Transit Centre for registration a couple of days ago. The decision to move to Slovakia for permanent residence was not easy for her. 

Her adult daughter with the family have been living in the Czech Republic for over ten years and Svetlana used to live and work on her own in Kreamchug. She had her life under control. Svetlana had her own small business, a small store, which had brought in a small but steady income before the war started.

With the start of the war, running the store became very difficult, Svetlana didn't have enough money to buy goods and the supply was tied. What's more, Kremenchung became unsafe because of regular shelling and bombing. Running a business in such conditions was impossible. War in Ukraine has changed everything, including Svetlana's calm life. Eventually, she had to find a courage to leave her hometown and move to a safer place.

In the summer of 2022, she moved to western Ukraine, where she lived with people who offered her their place to stay. Svetlana started working part-time as a salesperson but this life became difficult for her because she felt like misusing the hospitality of her friends. And she did not like this feeling.

Svetlana feels ready to start a new life in Slovakia. Photo © International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2023 

Svetlana knew she has must move one more time. Therefore, she made the difficult decision to move permanently to Slovakia.

„I want to start a new life here, learn the language, look for work, and integrate into Slovak society,” Svetlana told IOM Frontline Workers when they met her in Michalovce Transit Centre.

They provided her with information on online Slovak language courses that the organization organizes and conducts, information on resources for finding housing and employment, and on social guarantees in Slovakia for Ukrainian refugees.

Svetlana, having received a set of humanitarian aid in the form of basic supplies, was very grateful and encouraged to start a new life. 

These stories are collected by IOM frontline teams with the consent of respondents.

Read more stories from Slovak-Ukrainian borders:

Diary from borders #1: Ukrainian family of five reunited and found peace in Slovakia 

IOM Legal Counsellor: It is my mission to provide help and support to people from Ukraine
 

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