New problems of Ukrainian refugees in Britain: hospitality becomes overhead

According to the UK Office for National Statistics, the majority of British participants in the Homes for Ukraine program believe that rising costs are affecting their ability to support refugees.

According to The Guardian, data suggests that most people involved in the government’s scheme to house Ukrainians admit that the rising cost of living is making it difficult for them to support refugees.

According to the statistics agency, about a fifth (21%) of current or previous donors to the Homes for Ukraine program reported that rising costs of living had a “quite a big impact” on their ability to support the scheme, with another 9% saying it was “ had a huge impact on their ability.”

Just over four in 10 respondents said they were “little” affected by rising cost of living, while the rest said they were not affected by the cost of living or that they were unaware.

Just under a quarter (23%) of people who said they would only host a Ukrainian for six months or less said their decision not to continue the scheme was because they could no longer afford it, and because ever-increasing cost of living.

Just under four in ten (38%) said they would like to stay host to Ukrainian refugees longer if they were offered more support.

The Homes for Ukraine sponsorship program allows Ukrainian citizens and their relatives to come to the UK if they have a sponsor who can provide accommodation for at least six months. Under this scheme, new arrivals receive a lump sum payment of £200 and the host receives a monthly payment of £350 as a “thank you” for the cost of the aid.

As The Guardian notes, the scheme has been criticized as unworkable due to excessive bureaucracy, and as a “ploy” to give people fleeing Ukraine “false hope.”

There have also been claims that “Houses for Ukraine” has become a “Tinder for sex traffickers” as experts allege that British criminal circles are preying on Ukrainian women and children fleeing conflict in their homeland.

Richard Harrington, Minister for Refugees, said: “These latest statistics show that the vast majority of donors say they want to provide support for more than six months, which is a testament to the goodwill that the British public has shown towards the people of Ukraine… Of course they will continue to receive monthly thank you payments for 12 months to help with associated costs… We originally asked sponsors to host at least six months and we are working closely with the councils to ensure Ukrainians have a safe place to live should they choose to leave “.

James Jamison, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Councils, sponsors and Ukrainian visitors need to know what options are available at the end of the six-month initial placement period so they can start planning now. We hope that a number of Home for Ukraine sponsors will continue to host Ukrainian refugees, and we are in discussions with the government on how we could encourage this; for example, increasing the “thank you” payment to a higher amount so that sponsors can be sure that it will not cost them money.” There is a “significant risk” that “many Ukrainian families may need to pretend to be homeless due to a lack of sponsors or other options,” he said.

Nearly all (99%) of current or previous UK sponsors said they regularly provided additional support to their Ukrainian guests, such as meals, babysitting, taking them to meetings and providing financial assistance, according to the Daily Mail. The same number of Britons surveyed said they had incurred additional costs due to the admission of refugees. These include higher costs for water, gas and electricity (91%), additional costs for food (73%), costs for buying bedding and toiletries for guests (71%) and additional transportation costs (66%). Approximately 10 percent of hosts said their guests made a financial contribution, while nine percent said it was food.

Many host families are now asking the British government for more support to continue hosting refugees amid the cost of living crisis. Ministers are also being urged to do more to encourage Britons to stay in the Home for Ukraine program after the initial six-month period.

According to the PoliticsHome website, the government could take action by doubling the monthly “thank you” payment to host households to £700 if they are willing to extend their hosting offer by more than six months. Some 2,000 British hosts hosting Ukrainian refugees have already signed an open letter to ministers asking for more support. The letter, hosted by the charity The Sanctuary Foundation, wrote: “Please consider increasing the amount of thank you payments, especially if hosts are looking after multiple people when hosts are offering accommodation for more than six months, and for households that are bearing the brunt of the cost crisis. life.”

And according to the Independent, the British hosts are concerned about the prospects for Ukrainian refugees to find permanent housing. Participants in the Homes for Ukraine program warn the government that “there is currently no easy way for them to find their own housing” amid pressure on social housing and the private rental sector.

Some 79,000 refugees have arrived in the UK under the Homes For Ukraine sponsorship program, with hosts expected to provide them with accommodation for at least six months. Some of these accommodations are coming to an end and these refugees need to find alternative accommodation either on their own or with the help of other sponsors. As of July 2, more than 1,300 Ukrainian families were assessed in Britain as homeless or at risk of homelessness due to the fact that housing was found to be unsuitable. Local councils fear that the number of homeless people may increase.