Homeless Ukrainian refugees up 30% in one month in the UK

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Times
5 Dec 2022 23:53

UK families are ditching House for Ukraine scheme while Ukrainian refugees are losing housing.

Ukrainian refugees (archive).

Ukrainian refugees are facing a 30% increase in homelessness rates this month as host families in the UK are ending their commitment to providing them with housing, according to the British Times.

UK earlier this year designed and introduced a Homes for Ukraine scheme where British families provide Ukrainian refugees with support for no less than six months in exchange for a £350 monthly payout by the government.

A total of 83,900 refugees have arrived under the Homes for Ukraine scheme since it began in March.

After the minimum period of six months has passed or is approaching to end, many UK households have ended their participation in the plan while Ukrainian families are left to deal with the lack of proper sanctuary.

According to government-released records, the number of homeless Ukrainians has increased by 800 compared to last months' figures, with official numbers revealing that more than 2,000 refugee families including children and 900 individuals are currently without housing.

Earlier in August, warnings emerged in Britain that around 50,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country could be made homeless by next year.

Ministers are still refusing to offer a fresh package of support to offset the impending crisis.

Although Boris Johnson has framed the UK’s response to Russia’s operation as a principled triumph, a number of organizations warn that a key responsibility of his government to the conflict’s refugee crisis could prompt a “disastrous rise in homelessness."