Background
A Ukrainian woman named Anna lived with her boyfriend in Wrocław for four years, and then the couple decided to move to Spain. To gather the necessary amount for this major step, she took a temporary job — caring for the elderly in Germany for three months. At the time of the interview, her shift had already lasted more than a month.
Anna found herself in a small village, cut off from familiar life. This is not easy for her.
“I have been here for more than a month. Honestly — it’s hard. A remote village, complete isolation. The hardest part is the distance between us. We have been together for almost four years, and we had never been apart for longer than a week,” Anna recounts.
Why the move
She explains her departure from Poland by several reasons: bureaucracy, an increasing risk of deportation for men, and problems with housing and work.
“Last year we spent traveling across Europe in our van. There was always something happening nearby, 24/7. Now everything is the opposite,” she says.
According to her, the situation with housing and work in Spain is about the same as in Poland. The main advantage of Spain for her is the climate.
Anna also listed the difficulties of life in Poland:
- A small studio on the outskirts of Wrocław cost around 700 euros per month without utilities.
- It was difficult to find work.
- In the city, there was polluted air and constant traffic jams.
“To avoid falling into despair, I direct all my energy into job hunting,” adds Anna, hoping for new opportunities.
This story illustrates the difficulties many Ukrainians face while searching abroad for better conditions. Even despite isolated living and high rental prices, the main driving force remains the desire to change their situation. Choosing Spain for its climate shows that for Anna, it is important not only to have a job but also to feel more comfortable every day. For many Ukrainians, temporary work in the EU becomes a way to accumulate funds for a further move. Anna's story is one such example: a short contract in Germany helps move closer to the goal of living in Spain.