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English 
A couple of weeks ago, Olena (49), her husband (57) and daughter Nastia (19) visited Košice HotSpot to get some information about life in Slovakia. During their visit, they recalled dramatic events of the past year that made them leave their home town Mykolaiv and shared their story.
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.
“I got pregnant with my son just after my final exam for my bachelor’s degree,” Yulia explains in fluent English. “The baby was literally a gift to me.”
Every day people from Ukraine come to Slovakia, looking for safe refuge here. Many of them turn to IOM infopoints at border points of entry and assistance centres for information, advice and assistance. We bring you their stories that they shared with our IOM frontline teams.
Košice – Before the war started in Ukraine, Anzhelika and her two daughters, Ruslanka (20) and Valeria (22), had a peaceful life in Borodyanka, in Bucha Raion of Kyiv province. The 48-year-old mother worked at a jewelry store and spent her days daydreaming about her daughters’ weddings and future grandchildren – until the 24th of February.
In the past, Ms. Lavra has left Ukraine for work several times. In 2020, she decided to take this step again to earn a living and studies for her daughter. As a result of a bad financial situation, she was willing to accept any job, even without a work permit and in unsuitable working conditions
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Mariia, a 25-year-old public relations manager, used to live in Kyiv together with her husband, Sasha. They both worked and lived to the fullest in the city, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they decided to move to the countryside, to a quiet village on the outskirts of Cherkassy.
The village of Tskaltubo in the central part of Georgia is known for its green valleys and mineral springs. This is where Shota with his family moved after his return from Slovakia, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic started to spread around the world. Shota and his wife have a small farm which keeps the whole of their young family very busy.
Why Shota ask IOM for assistance more than a year ago?
Anna and Fedir from Ukraine: We are relieved, finally we do not have to worry about our leaking roof
The couple from Ukraine lives in an older family house in the mountainous Ivano-Frankivsk region. Due to its location, the house is exposed to a big amount of rain and snow. The family had long been bothered by a leaking roof as the water was destroying the walls and ceiling.
Ivan lost his residence permit in Slovakia. At the same time, he recieved an entry ban covering the European Union. This is his story.
