By Oleg Kolot | Hotline Expert
The Heart of Support: The Hotline from December 2024 to March 2025
In the difficult months of winter and uncertainty, the Hotline was more than just a phone number. It was the voice that said, “You are not alone.” It was the hand extended through the airwaves, holding on so the person on the other end wouldn’t lose hope.
From December 2024 to March 2025, we heard more than 700 human stories. Not just calls. Stories of pain, confusion, and anxiety. But also stories of strength, resilience, and faith. And we – the team behind the receiver – had the honor of standing by these people in their hardest moments.
“I can’t find an address to renew my temporary protection. What should I do?”
“How can I get a Blue Card? Will I be able to stay and work here?”
“They closed my bank account, and all my money is in there.”
“My mother passed away, and there’s no one to handle the paperwork. I’m here, alone.”
“I want to be with my husband. He’s in Ukraine. I’m here with our child.”
These voices changed us. Each story leaves a mark. Among the most common issues we helped with were:
Protection and registration
Visas and Blue Cards
Banks and pensions
Family reunification and documents for the deceased
Ukrainian seafarers left without shelter
Education and citizenship
New beginnings through work, business, home, or marriage
We stood by people when their accounts were closed without explanation. When they had to choose between traveling back to their homeland and losing their protection. When they stood at counters, and the officials said: “We don’t know what to tell you.”
We knew. We knew we had to listen. To interpret. To explain. To call on their behalf. To ask one more time. To be their voice when they no longer had the strength to speak.
The Hotline was and will remain more than a service. It is a bridge – between people, between fates, between hope and reality.
By Oleg Kolot | FAR Hotline officer
By Valeria Ilareva | Chairperson
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