Britons opening their homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion will receive a “thank you” payment of £350 per month, the government has announced.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme, to be rolled out this week, will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people fleeing the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.
Sponsors can nominate a named Ukrainian individual or family to stay with them in their home, or offer a separate property for them to use rent-free.
It comes as the government has faced criticism over the speed and scale of its efforts to bring fleeing Ukrainians to the UK.
People sponsoring refugees through the new uncapped route will be required to commit to the scheme for a minimum of six months but are encouraged to keep up the offer for as long as they can.
Those offering accommodation will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks.
A website gathering expressions of interest is set to launch on Monday.
The government said it is also working to enable communities, the voluntary sector and charitable and religious organisations to sponsor groups of Ukrainians.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the UK “stands behind Ukraine in their darkest hour” and urged people to “join the national effort” to help refugees as he announced the plan on Saturday night.
The levelling up, housing and communities secretary said: “The crisis in Ukraine has sent shock waves across the world as hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been forced to flee their homes, leaving everything they know and love behind.
“Together we can give a safe home to those who so desperately need it.”
Mr Gove is also calling for Russian oligarchs’ multi-million-pound mansions to be seized and used to house Ukrainian refugees as “payback”, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Ukrainians who have sponsors will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services.
Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford have said both Scotland and Wales are willing to become “super sponsors” for Ukrainian refugees.
In a letter to Mr Gove, they also renewed their calls on Westminster to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals trying to get into the UK.
The governments in Holyrood and Cardiff said super sponsorship would enable Ukrainians to get clearance to enter each country quickly and be housed temporarily while they work with local partners to provide longer-term accommodation, safeguarding and access to services.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi announced on Saturday that online lessons will be made available to 100,000 refugee pupils as they transition to “life and safety” in the UK.
He told BBC’s Question Time earlier in the week: “What you are seeing now is a surge in our capability to take more Ukrainians.
“I can tell you in my own department in education, I have a team that’s already making plans for a capacity of 100,000 children that we will take into our schools.”
Responding to Mr Gove’s announcement, Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, said too many questions still remained unanswered.
“We have known for weeks that generous Brits want to help Ukrainians fleeing war,” she said.
“The problem is that once again the government has failed to plan and has been dragging its feet.
“We still need far more urgency and too many questions remain unanswered.
“It is unclear what support will be offered to vulnerable children and older people, whether provision is made for unaccompanied children, and what help will go to local government, sponsoring organisations and housing providers.
“Given the scale of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, ministers must be sure this scheme will help enough people, and quickly.
“If Brits will need to have a prior connection to a Ukrainian family to sponsor them, as is suggested, that would be a severe limitation. Once they are here, how will families access support, such as universal credit for housing, after their sponsorship ends?”
The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to lead the international community in helping those who have been displaced by the conflict.
We are calling for the following two actions:
- Aid to be given to the countries that neighbour Ukraine, so that they have enough supplies of food, clothing and shelter needed to care for people who have been forced to abandon their homes.
- The government must also do more to make the UK a haven for refugees, and ensure we take in Ukrainians who want to find safety here.
If you, too, would like to help a nation in need then we urge you to add your signature and declare: Refugees Welcome.
We thank you for your support.
The Independent is also raising money for the people of Ukraine – if you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here.
Additional reporting by Press Association
