Quarter of Britons who took in refugees want to end living arrangement

2022-08-11

Quarter of Britons who took Ukrainian refugees into their homes following Russian invasion want to end living arrangement after six months, figures show

The support sponsors can provide is being hindered by the cost of living crisis
Some hosts are no longer able to provide accommodation for their refugee
Councils are fearing that some Ukrainians will now have to present as homeless
The Homes for Ukraine scheme brought in around 75,000 Ukrainian refugees

A quarter of Britons housing Ukrainian refugees want to end the agreement after just six months, leaving thousands of displaced Ukrainians potentially homeless.

A survey found that 26% wanted to stop housing the refugee living with them after the minimum required time, with a quarter of that number blaming the burdens of the cost of living crisis, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Around 70% of sponsors also said that inflation and the rising costs of bills hindered their ability to provide support to their refugee, and almost all of those surveyed said they have incurred extra costs during the scheme.

This is despite the Government paying them £350 a month as a ‘thank you’.

Ukrainian refugees have been fleeing their homes and coming to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme

Ukrainian refugees (from left) Anna Zamostana, Marya Vynnyshenko, Anna Vynnyshenko, 10, and Tanya Vynnyshenko volunteer at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Manchester

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The Homes for Ukraine Scheme, which was launched in March, brought in around 75,000 fleeing refugees into the UK.

Sponsors had to agree to a minimum of six months when signing up to the scheme, but the cost of living crisis has meant that more than a third of Britons are now ‘struggling financially’ due to the rising costs of bills, fuel and the weekly food shop.

Government figures also showed that 145 placements led to the refugee becoming homeless, due to the relationship with their sponsor breaking down or the accommodation being deemed ‘unsuitable’ before they had even moved in.

Councils have now become concerned about the number of hosts who no longer want to continue housing their refugee, and the Local Government Association chairman James Jamieson is calling for the Government to increase the monthly ‘thank you’ payments.

Jamieson said: ‘There is a significant risk that – even if rematching is available – many Ukrainian families may need to present as homeless because of a lack of sponsors or other options.

‘We hope a number of Homes for Ukraine sponsors continue to house Ukrainian refugees with them and we are talking to the Government about how we might encourage that.

‘For instance, increasing the thank you payment to a higher amount so the sponsors can be sure it’s not costing them

Refugees minister Lord Richard Harrington said: ‘We initially asked sponsors to host for a minimum of six months and we are working closely with councils to ensure Ukrainians have a safe place to live if they decide to move on.

‘We are contacting sponsors directly to outline next steps and the support available to them.’

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