Oksana Guseva, a Russian national of Ukrainian ethnicity, and her three children fled Moscow in June 2022, leaving behind her pro-Putin husband and seeking refuge in the UK via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Guseva, who identifies as Ukrainian and has been critical of the war, now faces potential deportation after the Home Office refused to renew her visa, citing her lack of a Ukrainian passport.

The Home Office initially granted the family a visa, but later deemed it an error, leading to the refusal. Guseva states that she was born in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union and that her family speaks Ukrainian at home, attends a Ukrainian church, and has become part of the community in London. She has had two asylum claims declined and is currently appealing the decision.

Guseva expressed deep concern for her safety if returned to Russia, stating that she has not been back for four years and believes the situation has become more dangerous. "If we have to travel back the moment I arrive at Moscow airport I would be arrested and my children would be taken off me," she told the Mail. She described feeling "abandoned" by the Home Office, recounting how they initially offered protection only to withdraw it.

Born in Ukraine in 1984, Guseva's family moved to Russia when she was two years old. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine and Russia became independent nations. Before the conflict, she lived in Yaroslavl, Russia, with her husband and children. She noted that the war changed her husband, leading to their separation.

In June 2022, Guseva traveled to Britain with her children, Ilya, Maxim, and Yulia, and her 64-year-old mother, Lyubov. They settled in Greenwich, London, where her children have become integrated into English life, attending a Ukrainian school. Guseva has been taking English classes and learning to drive. The children, who were young when they left Russia, no longer remember living there.

Despite their desire to remain in the UK and an ongoing appeal, the family faces the possibility of departure. Guseva has stated that if forced to leave Britain, she would go to Ukraine rather than return to Russia. "I will go to Ukraine if my residence permit, which expires in 2028, is still valid. But it is all so complicated there is a war on after all..."

A Home Office spokesperson stated, "It is longstanding Home Office policy that we do not comment on individual cases."