Government should act immediately to help thousands Ukrainian refugees who are facing Homeless In the UK, a cross-party coalition of MPs and peers has sounded the warning.
Since February last year more than 4,200 Ukrainian families have presented to English councils as homeless, With 30 percent of those doing so in the November to January period.
More than 70 MPs and colleagues, including former Home Secretary Priti Patel and Deputy Speaker Dem rosie wintertonhas signed an open letter calling on the government to increase the funding available to sponsors to ensure no Ukrainians seeking asylum in the UK are denied asylum. faced homelessness.
The letter also calls for a new minister for refugees to be appointed following the resignation of Lord Harrington. “Amidst the cost of life crisis, there is growing concern that a growing number of Ukrainian arrivals are facing homelessness or destitution,” the letter said.
MPs also urged the government to consider policy recommendations made by all-party parliamentary groups to end homelessness, including greater flexibility in funding for hosts and more money for those on the family plan. APPG co-chairs Bob Blackman MP and Florence Eshalomi MP said “more must be done” to address the crisis.
Ukrainian refugee Anna*, who has a medical degree, came to the UK via Poland in May last year. Since then, she has lived with three different sponsors in three different homes due to breakdown of living arrangements. She had to register herself as at risk of homelessness with her local London council but struggled to get enough help from the local authority. He has also struggled to find work or private housing.
The number of Ukrainian families presenting as homeless increased by 44% in the winter months.
(AFP via Getty)
“My sponsorship expires next month and I have not heard from the council in the last two weeks. I have no opportunity to live independently at the moment so I am looking for a new sponsor. The council said they Will help me look but don’t guarantee they’ll find one. Earlier, in late May, when I was in a similar situation, they told me I should look for a sponsor myself. Independent,
Anna had to give up her second sponsorship after getting a one-month work project in a different part of the UK. While she was away, the host didn’t let her get a hold of the placement, she explained. Her first sponsorship fell through when the landlord told her sponsor that he didn’t want any refugees on his property.
“I struggle to rent anywhere privately because I need a deposit and a guarantor who will sign a contract. Nobody wants to rent to people for profit. It’s the same problem local happens with hiring people from the UK, but double that for people who don’t speak English that well,” she said.
She said that her ordeal has affected her mental health. He said, “My trip to the UK has already traumatized me and I am very grateful for my life here but sometimes I find it difficult.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive for a press conference at a military camp in Lulworth, Dorset
(PA)
The number of Ukrainian families facing homelessness in England has increased by 44 per cent in the winter months as sponsorship arrangements are breaking down. As of November 2022, 199,500 visa applications were granted to Ukrainians under the family scheme or sponsorship scheme.
Independent previously disclosed that some Ukrainians face a very real choice between becoming homeless in the UK or returning to their war-torn country. Despite their legal obligations when Ukrainians have nowhere to live, councils provide a variety of assistance across the country.
In one case, Ealing Council told a 23-year-old woman that it was unlikely to be able to help her because she did not have “serious health needs”. Thousands of Ukrainians have also been accommodated in the hotel. by councils who are struggling to cope with rising homelessness numbers.
Mr Blackman and Ms Eshalomi said: “As we approach one year of the Russian invasion ukraineIt is unacceptable that thousands of people who arrived in the UK to escape conflict now face homelessness.
“While the announcement of continued funding under existing schemes for both sponsors and refugees is welcome, more must be done to prevent the growing number of Ukrainian refugees from becoming homeless.”
Matt Downie, chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis, said a “severe lack of affordable housing” was preventing Ukrainians from moving beyond sponsorship and rebuilding their lives. “We urge the government to consider implementing changes to existing schemes, as well as introducing a dedicated refugee resettlement strategy,” he added.
A government spokesman said: “We are giving more resources to councils to help them address these challenges. For those on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, we will provide per capita funding as well as accommodation for guests in their own homes. We are providing £150 million to support the UK and £500 million to find accommodation, and we have also raised and extended ‘thank you’ payments to sponsors to try to ensure sponsorship lasts as long as possible.
* Anna’s name has been changed