ウクライナから避難してきて

　2024年は予期せぬ2つの出来事で始まりました。1つは能登半島地震です。元日は、避難民の友人を訪ね家族で石川県羽咋市にいました。大きな地震を経験したのは初めてで、とても驚きました。
　亡くなれた方にお悔みと、被災された皆様に心からお見舞い申し上げ、一日でも早い復旧・復興をお祈りします。
　予期せぬ出来事のもう1つは、ウクライナの街に向けられたロシアの多くの砲撃です。地震も戦争も私達の望みに反して起こってしまいました。
　地震と戦争、それぞれの経験は全く異なります。戦争は、起きた時にどうすれば良いのか理解するのが難しいですが、地震は、私や周りの方も何をすべきかわかっていたので、パニックや不安を感じず、誰もが対応できていました。
特殊なことが起こった時に、行動計画が示されていればどんなに素晴らしいかと思いました。
　現在、避難民でいることを真剣に考えています。ロシア侵攻は2月24日で2年となります。残念ながら、誰にもこの戦争の終わりが見えません。この間、戦争が終わって帰国できると、ずっと信じていました。戦争終結を願いつつ、日本での生活を築いていかなければいけません。戦争の長期化で、避難民は安定した在留資格となる「補完的保護対象者」への変更手続きと、同時に日本語を学び、日本での生活について学べるプロジェクトが始まります。全てを良い方に解釈するウクライナ人にとって、現実を受け止める試練になると考えています。
　避難してからのことや、今考えていることなど、今月28日に開催する事業で詳しくお話しますので、ぜひお越しください。
　いつも私たちを支援していただき、ありがとうございます。

【備考】補完的保護対象者
紛争地の住民を難民に準じ、就労も可能な定住者の在留資格を与えて保護する制度

Hello my dear readers, 2024 did not start as we had planned for many of us.

An earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture that took many lives. And Russia’s massive shelling of Ukrainian cities - is definitely not what we wanted.
As my friend said: “there is something in you that attracts you to such events.” Just as I lived in Donetsk in 2014 and found myself at the epicenter of the beginning of the Ukrainian-Russian War, so on New Year’s Day 2024 I was in the city of Hakui Ishikawa Prefecture and found myself at the epicenter of an earthquake. But these are two completely different experiences, the first had absolutely no understanding of what was happening and what to do, but in the case of the earthquake, I and everyone around me knew exactly what to do and there was no panic or uncertainty, everyone followed the plan. I even thought how wonderful it would be if we had a plan for all occasions - the worst thing is when you don’t know what to do, especially when you have children with you.

This was my first experience of an earthquake of such magnitude.
I also want to remind you that this month, February 24, 2024, it will be two years since a full-scale bloody war is going on in Ukraine. On this occasion, I invite you to an event at Kirari Kamagaya Ciity Civic Hall where you can listen to the real life stories of refugees from Ukraine and ask questions.
And unfortunately, neither I nor anyone else sees the end of this war.

For more than a year now you have been reading my articles where I tell you about the traditions of Ukraine and my life. Honestly, all this year I believed that the war would end and I would soon return home.
But it is still not safe to return to Ukraine and therefore a few months ago I and many Ukrainians submitted our documents to change status from “temporary shelter” to a refugee visa.
And now I've really started to think about what it's like to be a refugee. Live in expectation of the end of the war and at the same time build your life here.
In recent years, Japan has changed its attitude towards refugees, and if in previous years the number of refugees accepted by Japan could be 6 people per year. With the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, Japan decided to accept more than 2,500 people. And now a new project is underway to adapt to life in Japan. Refugees will learn the Japanese language and the rules of your country. This is a difficult moment for us, many of the Ukrainians were intoxicated by dangerous optimism, when you see everything in the best light and move further and further away from the idea of the real course of affairs.
　
I am very glad that the Japanese government and the people of Japan show such compassion in the plight of people from other countries.
I will never get tired of thanking you for helping me and my country. Thank you very much. We can’t do it without your help.