The UN refugee agency has expressed concerns about the Homes For Ukraine scheme in Britain.
The scheme allows the British to accept Ukrainian refugees, even if they have no previous ties to the United Kingdom.
Anyone who has a room or a home for at least six months can offer it to a Ukrainian person or family, with the hosts being screened and Ukrainian refugees being subjected to security checks.
But UNHCR said it was aware of “growing reports” of refugee women feeling at risk from male sponsors, adding that women and mothers with children should be compared to couples or families instead of unmarried men.
In a statement, the agency said: “UNHCR emphasizes the need for adequate safeguards and verification measures against exploitation, as well as adequate support for sponsors.
“Comparisons made without proper supervision can increase the risks that women may face, in addition to the trauma of resettlement, family separation and violence they have already experienced.”
UNHCR also said it was concerned about what would happen if a host posed a danger to a refugee, as well as the six-month commitment required by the hosts.
“Placing a stranger in an extra bedroom for an extended period of time is not sustainable for some people,” it said.
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Refugees left homeless after ties with sponsors fell apart
Last week, councils warned that there had been a “worrying increase” in the number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK but then homeless after ties with their sponsors broke down.
Understandably, this has happened in dozens of cases, and local authorities need to find emergency accommodation for refugees while they wait for a new sponsor.
Earlier, fears were expressed that desperate refugees were turning to social media to find sponsors, making them vulnerable to exploitation or human trafficking.
In March, Sky News reported that predators used the chaos of war to kidnap young Ukrainian children to sell them to gangs in Europe, while forcing desperate women – many of whom have to leave partners in Ukraine – into slavery and prostitution. .
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A government-backed matching program was launched two weeks after the scheme in a bid to address this, as well as provide training and initial eligibility and protection checks.
A government spokeswoman said: “Attempts to exploit vulnerable people are really disgusting – that’s why we designed the Homes for Ukraine scheme to have specific safeguards, including sound security and checks on all sponsors from the Ministry of Interior and local authorities.” authorities.
“The councils must make at least one personal visit to the sponsor’s property and must ensure that the guest is safe and well upon arrival.”
Government figures show that as of April 7, 43,600 Ukrainians had applied to come to the UK under the scheme, but only 12,500 had received visas, with some waiting waiting for the system to be slow and difficult.
More than 200,000 people in the UK have applied for refuge under the scheme.
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