This thesis explores the daily lives of Ukrainian refugee women and men who fled to Slovenia after their country was attacked by Russia in February 2022. To gain an insight, eight Ukrainian refugees were interviewed and asked about different aspects of their daily lives and how they experience their current circumstances. While they discussed a wide range of topics, a pattern seemed to form on the similarities that united them as result of their experience. An emphasis was put on the topics that they themselves viewed as most important in this context.
In the theoretical section, the concept of integration, the aspects covered by it as well as its significance, are outlined. Afterwards, I concentrate on the legal framework for refugee protection, which in the case of the Ukrainian refugees is the “Temporary Protection of Displaced Persons Act”. The repercussions that survivors of traumatic experiences, such as war, may encounter are discussed. Subsequently, the social context of Ukrainian refugees in Slovenia is examined with a special focus being put on their access to housing, healthcare, transportation, employment, and financial support. Additionally, the difficulties and challenges that learning the local language typically pose for migrants as well as the unique challenges Ukrainians learning Slovene face are discussed. At the end of the theoretical introduction, I investigate the functioning of a family faced with the challenges of having to live separately across different countries. I write about their communication from a distance, and the value of keeping migrant children's cultural traditions and mother tongues alive.
In continuation, I present the findings reached through qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews. For almost all my interviewees, the main reason for deciding on Slovenia as the country of refuge was the fact that they had connections established in the country beforehand, in the form of a family member or a friend. In addition, cultural and linguistic similarities influenced their decision. This made it easier for them to integrate into Slovenian society and to be accepted by the country and its people than migrants from other parts of the world.The interviewees cited numerous instances where Slovenians had demonstrated empathy and solidarity and expressed that they generally felt good here. Despite their precarious situation, they try to focus on the positive aspects of living in Slovenia, such as having access to a variety of sports activities, nature, and new acquaintances. Even after taking these factors into account, Ukrainian refugees are not fully integrated. They face difficulties in finding work and accommodation as well as accessing health services with language being the root of all these problems. As for their financial situation, many pointed out that they have just enough money to get through the month, but not much to save. This situation is further worsened as they also face problems from delayed financial assistance and must therefore have enough of their own resources to support themselves in the meantime. Simultaneously, they are traumatized by both the war and their families' disintegration. In fact, five out of eight interviewees stated that they are more inclined to settle in Slovenia or in another EU member state in the future as result of the destruction of their homes and towns in Ukraine as well their fondness of living in Slovenia.
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