Hundreds of Ukrainian families have been left homeless in England after arriving on visas designed to provide them with a place to live, official figures said. Since the end of February, at least 480 Ukrainian families with children and 180 single adults have applied to homeless help councils.
Although the government insists that home schemes for Ukraine and family visas will ensure that refugees have housing, both leave people to fight when agreements break down.
The data reveals cracks that are already appearing in the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with 145 accommodations ending up homeless by June 3rd. Of these, 90 were closed because the arrangement was broken, and another 55 never left the land because the accommodation was not available or unsuitable on arrival.
Lauren Scott, CEO of Refugees at Home, said: “We are disappointed and sad, but not surprised to see that jobs are starting to fall apart. Expecting vulnerable, traumatized refugees to rely on the goodwill of strangers they met on Facebook has always been a risk.
“We urgently need a joint national reserve plan to help families whose accommodation has gone wrong. Across the country, there is no consistent approach to re-comparing guests to new hosts, there is no standard way for Ukrainians to change their visa sponsors, and there is no single mechanism for moving funding from one host to another.
Many local authorities treat Ukrainian families as homeless instead of trying to connect them with new hosts, leaving them in hostels and hotels, just as has happened to Afghan refugees. Of the 145 failed rankings in Homes for Ukraine, only 20 were rematched with a new host.
Scott said: “This is a nightmarish situation – the same one we hoped to avoid.”
Anna, 37, fled Kyiv with her husband and three-year-old son when war broke out. They came to Britain in late March after meeting a family of four living in a large house in Northampton.
After initially being hospitable, their hosts became less enthusiastic within a few weeks. “We didn’t understand what was happening because they changed their mood very quickly,” Anna said.
Anna and her family were moved to an annex. The host said he wanted a key for him, and they agreed, as long as he warned them before entering, but shortly after that he called the council to say he wanted to end his sponsorship.
“They didn’t explain anything to us,” Anna said. “They were not ready to share their house. They tried to get rid of us as soon as possible. “
Her family was housed at Travelodge for a few days by the council, sharing a room without cooking facilities. They had no idea where to go. “We were desperate and felt we had no choice but to return to Ukraine,” Anna said.
Finally, after searching the internet, they found Refugees at home, who helped place them with another family.
They are still signs of the experience. “We lost our home in Ukraine, and when we came here we thought we were safe, but we weren’t, and we lost our home for the second time.”
The longest-running family visa scheme is 455 homeless applications. In many cases, families are desperate to take their relatives out of Ukraine, apply for visas, but have never had a place to stay.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “It is disturbing to see that desperate Ukrainian families fleeing the war, traumatized and heartbroken, arriving here, entrusting their safety in our hands, have been left to fall into homelessness.
“Ukrainian families arriving here need a warm welcome, safe housing and benefits, emotional support and connection. We are concerned that Ukrainians arriving on family visas face problems, as not all relatives will have the space or resources to support their family members – so there must be the same level of funding available to them and locals. advice provided under the “Homes for Ukraine” scheme.
Lisa Nandi, a shadow MP and housing secretary, said: “It is a shame that families who fled Putin’s brutal war have found themselves homeless here in Britain.
“The British have shown incredible generosity in their thousands to provide the care and refuge these people – many of them families with young children – need and deserve in such dire circumstances.
“But the government has failed to play its part. Ministers were warned of the risk of refugees being left homeless on the day they launched the sponsorship scheme, but they were more interested in appearing in television studios than in working to protect vulnerable people.
“The government urgently needs to draw up a plan to support councils to find safe homes for these families.
Cllr David Renard, housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Currently, councils do not receive data or funding for people who come on the family visa scheme. Some of these families present themselves as homeless upon arrival, but we ask that they be reimbursed with a sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
“Urgent work is needed on how councils can work with government and the community, the faith and the volunteer sector so that those who offer their homes can be quickly reunited with families in need.
A government spokesman said: “More than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK since Putin’s invasion, and all newcomers have access to benefits and public services, as well as the right to work or study from the day they arrive.
“The vast majority of people are well accommodated, but in a small number of cases where family or sponsorship relationships fall apart, councils must ensure that families are not left homeless. The councils also have access to a rematch service to find a new sponsor in Homes for Ukraine cases.
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