SEMUR-EN-AUXOIS, France — In a factory on the edge of the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois, French isn't the only language being spoken these days. Over the whir of sewing machines, the sounds of Russian and Ukrainian can be heard as well.
The factory has been turning out leather handbags for French luxury brands since the 1970s. Maroquinerie Thomas' CEO Thierry Thomas says he's hired about 25 Ukrainians this year.
"I hired the first five and then more started coming," he says. "Cousins, sisters-in-law. They work hard, they adapt fast. At first I put them all together. That way if one understood, he could teach the others."
Thomas says it's not charity. He can't find enough French workers.
He offers the Ukrainians long-term contracts without having to go through a trial period, "so they can open bank accounts and rent apartments," he says.
How does he communicate with them?
"Google Translate," he says, laughing.
Europe is being transformed by the war in Ukraine. Even places far from the conflict are feeling the effects. And the longer the war continues, the more lasting those effects will be.
France has taken in more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, according to the French government. They have the right to stay and work and receive a small monthly stipend. Ukrainian children are learning in French schools all over the country and many French families are hosting Ukrainian families.
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