Homes for Ukraine Update - 10 August 2022
The Government has written to give an update on the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the Ukraine Family scheme.
These schemes have been very successful. To date, more than 100,000 Ukrainians have been welcomed to the UK through these two visa schemes. This is the country’s largest offer of help for people fleeing war since the Second World War.
The Government is grateful to all those who have opened up their homes, as well as to devolved governments, charities, faith groups, businesses, councils and communities, schools, healthcare providers and many more.
The Minister for Refugees, Lord Harrington, will be writing to all Homes for Ukraine hosts alongside the Ukrainian Ambassador to personally thank them for the selfless work that they have done to provide people with refuge and a home.
Support for guests and hosts approaching six-month sponsorship
As guests and hosts start to reach the four month point of living together, the Government will be contacting them with further guidance to support them to consider their next steps.
Many hosts have chosen to continue hosting beyond their original six-month commitment. It has been confirmed that the thank you payments for hosts will continue to be paid for up to 12 months. For those hosts unable to extend their sponsorship, the Government has outlined support for guests on how to access private rented accommodation as well as guidance on finding a new host.
Hosts should make sure they inform local authorities of their plans in advance, to allow councils to offer help if guests need to find new accommodation or arrange the thank you payments for hosts.
Government officials have continued to work with civil society and local authorities to provide updated guidance which sets out vital information for guests adjusting to life in the UK and to support hosts in their role. Recent updates include more information for sponsors and guests approaching the six month point in a relationship, alongside a new page of resources, training and support from civil society organisations for hosts. This can be found at the links below:
Homes for Ukraine sponsor guidance
Sources of support for sponsors hosting people from Ukraine
Guidance for Ukrainian guests has also been updated and can be accessed online in English, Ukrainian and Russian. This outlines advice on accessing childcare support, healthcare and benefits as well as useful information on finding employment and rental accommodation. This can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/welcome-a-guide-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-the-uk
Homes for Ukraine Update - 16th April 2022
Below is the government correspondence sent to to those who have signed up to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
We would like to thank you again for your generous offer of accommodation for those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Over 200,000 expressions of interest (EOIs) have been received from people in the UK willing to offer accommodation. These have been useful to help the Government prepare services and support for Ukrainians who might arrive in the UK over the coming months.
We’re getting in touch now to inform you of progress, share updated guidance, and let you know about the next steps we’ll be taking.
Some applicants have been waiting nearly three weeks for their visa applications to be progressed or an outcome communicated, and we acknowledge that this is unacceptable. We are speeding up the processing of visas and, having prioritised family visas in the first instance, we are now working to accelerate the award of visas under Homes for Ukraine.
The latest data on visas issued under both the Homes for Ukraine and Ukrainian Family schemes was published today by the Home Office. You can view it here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data
While many more sponsors will welcome Ukrainians in the coming weeks and months, we also recognise that not all those who expressed an interest in offering accommodation will be able to proceed: some homes, for instance, may be too remote for Ukrainian people who would like access to jobs or who may not be able to drive. Some sponsors, when informed of the level of support people fleeing Ukraine will need and the more detailed criteria, including accommodation standards and safeguarding checks, have chosen to withdraw. We appreciate this and the many reasons for withdrawal – it is no small commitment to host people fleeing a war zone. There will be many ways to help Ukrainians in the UK, other than providing accommodation.
There are instances, too, where Ukrainians with UK sponsors, who have had visas granted, have chosen to remain closer to home as the immediate threat of war fades from their home area. This should be respected by us all, while our doors remain open should circumstances worsen.
Future matching
Many of you who registered an interest in sponsoring have not yet found anyone from Ukraine to sponsor. Finding the right match can be a highly personal decision and requires understanding and planning on both sides. There are already community and voluntary organisations helping to generate matches among communities they know. We are working closely with a number of these organisations and the local government sector to help make it easier for you to sponsor. We will provide further information shortly about how you can work with them to help find a match among Ukrainians who want to come to the UK.
Useful information and guidance
We have published a factsheet that explains how Ukrainians can apply to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with translations in Ukrainian and Russian. It includes advice on eligibility for the scheme, how to apply, and preparing to travel. You can read the factsheet here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-factsheet-for-ukrainians
We have also published a welcome guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK, with Ukrainian and Russian translations. It includes information about what your guests need to know in the first few days and about getting used to life in the UK, including how to access essential public services. You can read the welcome guide here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welcome-a-guide-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-the-uk
You can find answers to frequently asked questions on our guidance page (also in Ukrainian and Russian) which is regularly updated: please keep an eye on it, particularly as your role as a sponsor progresses. You can read the guidance page here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions
Residents of Scotland
The Scottish Government will in the next few weeks be contacting residents in Scotland who have expressed an interest in hosting Ukrainians. You will be sent a survey gathering more information from you. Local authorities in Scotland will then carry out the relevant safety and background checks. You can find out more information here:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/super-sponsor-scheme-and-homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-local-authorities/pages/role-of-sponsors-and-councils/
Residents of Northern Ireland
Further information and guidance for Ukrainian arrivals and sponsors in Northern Ireland can be found here:
https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/publications/information-ukrainians-arriving-northern-ireland
Residents of Wales
In the next few weeks, the Welsh Government will be getting in touch with people in Wales who have expressed an interest in hosting Ukrainian people, to ask for some additional information and for your agreement for local authorities to undertake relevant checks so you are ready to act as a sponsor/host.
Thank you once again for registering your interest in the Homes for Ukraine scheme; your generosity is greatly appreciated.
The Current Crisis
Not surprisingly I have been inundated with emails from constituents rightly concerned about the situation in Ukraine and the ruthless aggression by the Russian military. Many people have asked what practical help they can give with many generously offering accommodation to refugee families. Others have expressed frustration that NATO should be taking direct military action and some people have been critical of the response by the Home Office in particular in responding to the crisis. With this bulletin therefore I will try to cover all those areas and more and will continue to post updates as more information and guidance becomes available in this fast-moving situation.
West Sussex already hosts residents and visiting workers from Ukraine, Russia, Poland and other impacted countries. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them at this time. To be clear, it is Putin’s actions that we condemn, not the people of Russia who are also victims of this situation. I recently spoke to a number of Ukrainian constituents to hear their take on the situation from their friends and family still in Ukraine, and what practical support they are asking for. I have reported back to ministers with that information and have challenged the Home Secretary, Defence Secretary and others in the Chamber of the House of Commons. There have been other events across Adur and Worthing where local people have come out to show their solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
In addition, we recently heard directly from the Ukrainian Ambassador and refugee groups in front on the Home Affairs Select Committee, and many of you will have seen the historic and moving address by the Ukrainian President by video link to MPs on the 8th of March. We are holding regular meetings with the newly appointed Ukrainian Refugees Minister, to question further.
I fully support the extensive actions the Government has taken in support of Ukraine, and the Prime Minister has been at the forefront of rallying western nations to impose the historically most extensive sanctions against Russia and Belarus ever seen. In addition, we have now given more humanitarian aid than any other country and the provision of high-grade military kit made more effective by months of training Ukrainian forces by our own military over many months before the conflict started
The UK has sanctioned more Russian banks involving more assets than any other European country and led on international moves to alienate Russia from extensive financial systems like SWIFT. This is only the start and we have seen how quickly the impact is being felt in Moscow with empty supermarket shelves, empty cash dispensers and bans on selling the rouble which has almost halved.
Be in no doubt, that all these measures combined represent the biggest set of actions against a hostile nation ever, barring committing to direct military conflict which obviously remains a possibility if Putin continues to refuse to heed the warnings of the rest of the world from which he has become very largely isolated.
The Government Response
As the crisis in Ukraine continues, both the British people and government are doing all that they can to help those in desperate need of aid and shelter.
- The UK has now provided a total of £3.8 billion of economic and military support to Ukraine, £2,3 billion of this is military aid - more than any other country apart from the United States - and £1.5 billion is economic and humanitarian aid.
- ‘International Ukraine Support Group’ will coordinate the global community to deliver long-term support for Ukraine.
- New initiative follows the Prime Minister’s six point ‘plan of action’ for the international community to ensure Putin fails in his ambitions.
- Defensive weapons have been sent to Ukraine, including anti tank and anti aircraft weaponry. 5,000 NLAW short-range anti-tank weapons have been provided and have proved particularly effective against Russian tanks and are now being backed up with Starstreak anti-aircraft systems to use against lethal Russian air power inflicting such heavy destruction.
- In June it was announced the UK is offering a comprehensive new training programme to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, helping them build long-term endurance in the face of continuing Russian barbarism.
- The Economic Crime Bill which was given Royal Assent in March gives the UK Government historic powers to sanction key Russian officials and oligarchs, confiscate their property and attack the use of London markets for ‘dirty Russian money.’ Over 800 Russian nationals and some from Belarus have now been sanctioned, subject to confiscations and travel bans. This extends to over 400 members of the Russian Duma and high-profile Putin allies like Roman Abramovich.
- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has been particularly effective in rallying other Western nations to up their defence spend and provide kit and ammunition to the Ukrainian army.
The new initiative – the International Ukraine Support Group – will bring together global partners committed to ensuring strong political, humanitarian, economic and defence support for Ukraine.
The group will mobilise international allies to coordinate and reinvigorate assistance to Ukraine - likely to be tested over time – to ensure efforts are sustained in the long-term. The trio will encourage more countries to join and the UK will be raising this with their partners.
141 countries voted to condemn Putin’s war at the historic UN General Assembly vote. 39 countries – including the UK, Canada and the Netherlands - joined the largest referral to the International Criminal Court in history to expedite an investigation.
The UK, Canada and The Netherlands have been leading the way in their response to Ukraine’s requests for help including issuing punitive sanctions and providing defensive military equipment.
Ukrainian Refugees
If you are Ukrainian and need help obtaining a UK visa for a family member who has fled the conflict and made it to Hungary, Poland, Moldova or Romania, please do not hesitate to seek my assistance. I am not aware that we have a substantial Ukrainian community in Adur and Worthing, but we have taken up some specific cases for family members.
You can apply here: https://www.gov.uk/.../apply-for-a-ukraine-family-scheme...
From Tuesday March 15th, Ukrainians with passports have been able to get permission to come here online and give their biometrics once in Britain, meaning they no longer need to physically visit Visa Application Centres, which can focus efforts on helping those without passports.
Through the two different schemes open to Ukrainian refugees (the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme) over 100,000 Ukrainians have been safely welcomed to the UK.
I have been calling for necessary checks to be carried out in the UK rather than in the chaos of the borders with Ukraine and at least the situation has been made easier by facilitating applications online rather than having to travel great distances to a UK visa office. Whilst security checks for the mostly women and children seeking to come to the UK need only be minimal, I do support the issuing of visas so that we know exactly who is coming to the UK and how we can best support them, but this process should be as streamlined as possible. I will be monitoring the new system when it comes online and feeding back any problems reported to me to make improvements if necessary.
Overall, it is estimated that the Ukrainian community in the UK amounts to some 50,000 – 60,000 people and it is highly likely that they will want to offer accommodation and help to family members wherever possible, so that offers from the public can be concentrated on those without direct UK family connections. The view of the Ambassador, which I share, is that the many women and children and elderly folk who have come across the border having had to leave husbands, sons and fathers behind will want to stay as close to Ukraine as possible in the hope of early reunification and a return home. In which case the numbers coming to the UK could be in the tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands. Though, if the conflict is a protracted one then obviously that could change.
Unlike many Syrian and Afghan refugees who may find it much harder to return home and will be in the UK for the long haul, the Ukrainian Ambassador hoped that they will be able to return home soon and will certainly want to do that. For those who do come to the UK they will be able to work legitimately, access health and education services and be given money to live, no doubt supported by many local community networks who want to extend a warm welcome, quite rightly.
Full advice on UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/.../support-for-family-members-of...
A Ukrainian-language advice sheet for refugees is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/.../66981c93-6330-4a24-9e91-dcd976726280
Ukrainian Sponsorship Scheme
The details of the scheme whereby people can offer accommodation to Ukrainian families was set out on Monday March 14th and will be led by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Essentially people will be asked to commit to offering rooms/annexes/spare flats etc on initially a 6-month basis and will receive £350 per month to help with that.
The Government has confirmed that those hosts who wish to carry on hosting beyond the original 6 month commitment will be supported, with thank you payments lasting for up to 12 months. For those hosts unable to extend their sponsorship, the Government has outlined support for guests on how to access private rented accommodation as well as guidance on finding a new host. Local authorities should be notified in advance, to allow councils to offer help if guests need to find new accommodation or arrange the thank you payments for hosts.
The refugees will be given money for subsistence directly and local authorities will be given over £10,500 per family to provide support. I have asked for the Government to charter planes to help with the transport or allow our military planes delivering aid to come back full of people.
Refugees will be given full access to social care, healthcare, Universal Credit and the right to seek work.
There are national charities such as Refugees at Home (Refugees At Home – Refugees At Home) which already operate in this area and they will be working closely with the central government scheme.
To register your interest or for more information, please follow this link: https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/
There is a new founded group on Facebook for Adur based households who are looking to take on refugees. If you are considering doing so, please do sign up to share advice, ideas and input: https://www.facebook.com/groups/537548351008755/about
What happens after you have registered interest?
Incoming refugees will have met standard security checks against the police national computer database and antiterrorism checks as part of the visa application process. Similarly, sponsors and all adults in the sponsor household will be subject to standard security checks as part of the visa process. Your council will also visit you to check that the accommodation you are offering is appropriate and that everything is in place for your guest(s). They will also conduct a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all adults in your household. This is typically required for people who work closely with children and vulnerable adults – teachers, doctors, social workers, civil servants – and is a simple, standard safety check. You will receive a certificate valid for two years. These checks and the process will be expedited. For those who are sponsoring a Ukrainian family which includes a child or a vulnerable adult, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check with Barred Lists check will be conducted.
Making Donations and Sending Aid
As things have developed in Ukraine, the Government strongly recommends that wherever possible, organisations and people who would like to help donate cash rather than donating goods, through the Disasters and Emergencies Committee campaign and other trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it’s needed, and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what’s most needed. The Government has offered to match-fund donations to the Disasters and Emergencies Committee campaign up to £25m on top of its existing financial aid package. Polish authorities as well as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have reiterated this.
The Government is also aware that some communities have put great time and effort into gathering goods to support those battling for survival in Ukraine. To ensure that this does not go to waste, a customs easement is now in place making it easier to move aid and donations to help the people of Ukraine.
The simplification of customs processes will apply specifically to goods intended to support those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine which are exported from Great Britain. Provided the goods are not exported to, or through, Russia or Belarus, then these simplified processes apply to qualifying goods regardless of the destination to allow maximum flexibility to get aid to where the need is greatest.
Please follow the link for further information: https://www.gov.uk/.../customs-easement-to-help-ukraine...
Ukrainians travelling to the UK:
Several travel companies are offering free travel to get to the UK:
• The airline Wizz Air is supporting Ukrainian nationals by offering 100,000 free seats on flights from Ukraine’s border countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). They are also offering €29.99 rescue fares on flights from other locations (excluding the UAE, Iceland and the Canaries, which are €69.99). Find out more on the Wizz Air website.
• Eurostar is offering free tickets to help Ukrainian nationals travel from any Eurostar station to London St Pancras International. Individuals who have been granted a valid visa to enter the UK can show this together with their Ukrainian passport to a member of the Eurostar team at Paris Nord, Brussels-Midi, Lille Europe, Rotterdam Central or Amsterdam Central stations, and they will issue a ticket for travel to London. Find out more on the Eurostar website.
For Ukrainians already in the UK, please see the Home Office guidance on visa support here: https://www.gov.uk/.../ukrainian-nationals-in-the-uk-visa...
For Ukrainians arriving in the UK, The Red Cross have published this guidance leaflet with helpful advice and details on support services and other applications.
Events:
If you are organising an event or appeal in support of Ukraine, please contact me at [email protected] and I will add details to this page.
Show your support on social media:
Please tag your posts #StandWithUkraine to show your support as part of a global online movement.
I appreciate that this bulletin is longer than it is usually, but wanted to be as thorough as possible and please do not hesitate to contact me directly if there is more information you need.
