‘My 12-year-old was sent a work permit – has the world gone mad?’: a Kherson mother’s UK diary

Olha and her children are adapting to their new lives in London. Photograph: Guardian Community

When Russian tanks rolled into the Ukrainian city of Kherson, Olha fled with her children and pet cat, Venera. The family travelled across the Polish border, through Germany and Sweden, before arriving in London. Now she faces yet another challenge: bureaucracy.

‘I feel bewildered by the inefficiency of the authorities’