Russians from Edinburgh told about the liner with indignant Ukrainian refugees

“There are cabins without windows, smaller than the cells in local prisons”

Ukrainian refugees who have been living on a cruise ship in Edinburgh, Scotland for several months, have complained about cramped cabins, poor internet and a Russian-speaking crew, writes The Daily Mail. Our compatriots who live in Scotland told MK about the situation with the ferry, as well as how the locals relate to refugees from Ukraine and their demands.

The liner, which housed the Ukrainian refugees, is in the port of Leith in Edinburgh.

“This topic has been raised more than once in the local press, there is terrible crowding on the ship, about 1.5 thousand people are accommodated there,” says Irina, who has been living in Scotland for 8 years. — This is a ship of an Estonian shipping company, designed for undemanding tourists. In fact, this is a ferry that previously ran from Tallinn to Stockholm and Helsinki, and also operated charter flights. It was assumed that tourists spend the night in a cabin, and in the morning at the port of destination they go to the city for excursions. The duration of the cruise is several days. The cabins there are small, as they wrote in the newspapers, there are 7.5 “squares” for four, they are smaller in size than the cells in local prisons. And some of the cabins on the ship have no windows at all. It is clear that it is very difficult to live there for months.

According to Irina, this ship was chartered by the local government in the summer for Ukrainian refugees due to a lack of housing.

– The government allocated £100 million for the contract to accommodate refugees. Please note that this amount does not include the cost of keeping refugees on board. And the costs, according to the local press, are colossal. It is clear that the current deal offers value for money. And honestly, I am surprised by the complaints of Ukrainians about the Russian-speaking crew. It was formed in Tallinn. Do they have to speak Estonian or English?

According to the authorities, Ukrainian refugees should release the ship, at best, in December 2024.

Another of our compatriots, Elena, who lives in Edinburgh, says that she partly understands the disappointment and anger of Ukrainian refugees.

“It is clear that this is temporary housing, but the local authorities have no funds for permanent housing,” says Elena. The cost of building new homes in Scotland has skyrocketed. There is an energy and economic crisis in the country. People are paid little for the shelter of Ukrainians, no one is eager to help them. “Guests” are too expensive. They also turn out to be picky. One of my friends sheltered a pregnant woman from Ukraine, in the group they were looking for a water filter for her, since she does not drink raw tap water …

— How do they treat Russians in Edinburgh? Are you experiencing negativity?

“I have lived here for 22 years. Some, when they find out that I am from Russia, try to look polite, do not ask about anything. And who is simpler, they start asking questions, what do I think about Putin? And how do Russians live? In such situations, I feel a little awkward. But now no one talks as much about Ukraine and Russia as at the beginning of the special operation. People now have other problems – how to survive the winter with such crazy bills for electricity, gas, gasoline prices and inflation of 11%.

We also managed to contact our compatriot Anatoly, who has been working in Edinburgh for the third year.

“Sometimes I hear Ukrainian speech in the store and try to get away. I had a negative experience of interacting with Ukrainian refugees. The ones I encountered were trying to get as much as they could while doing the minimum amount of work. They think that everyone owes them. They, they say, are the victims, their compatriots “hold the defense for the whole of Europe.” Give them that, give them that… In the current economic situation, the locals themselves barely make ends meet. There are charitable organizations that help refugees. But many don’t want to hear about them. They say: “Migrant ferries will soon encircle all of Scotland.” There are more and more voices about their deportation.