According to the British Red Cross, thousands of Ukrainian refugees who came to the UK in search of safety following Russia's invasion are now at risk of becoming homeless or being exploited there.

While the UK government's programs gave families seeking safety a lifeline, a report by the humanitarian organization discovered that certain Ukrainians encountered vulnerabilities in safeguarding protocols, as well as inadequate training and continuous support for hosts.

Over 9,000 of the approximately 200,000 families living in the UK have been placed at risk of homelessness since the Homes for Ukraine program began in 2022. This is frequently brought on by strained relationships with host families and challenges entering the private housing market.

Homelessness was found to be four times as common among Ukrainians than in the general population. This is exacerbated by the fact that the number of new immigrants from Ukraine increased by 379 each week on average between February and mid-June 2024.

Two ships that were used to house 2,465 people in Glasgow and Edinburgh between July 2022 and July 2023 drew criticism for being unsuitable because they lacked cooking facilities and couldn't accommodate them.

Finding a Safe Home

The British Red Cross report, titled Finding a Safe Home, stated examples including: 

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• Before finding a place to live, one Ukrainian woman applied to all 65 housing organizations in Glasgow.
• Some individuals slept rough after being abruptly made homeless by host families. At midnight, a woman was asked to leave and slept on a beach with her possessions.
• After living in six different places in two years, one woman returned to Ukraine when she was unable to obtain housing in this country, and when the war intensified, she returned to the UK.
• Three generations of individuals shared a single bed in one household that participated in the family hosting program.
• One woman who was provided lodging online discovered, upon voluntary organization inspection, that it had been set up for sexual exploitation, complete with video cameras in the bedroom and a lock on the exterior door.

The government should build on the successful practices of the accommodation projects in Ukraine and incorporate the lessons learned into future refugee resettlement plans, according to the Red Cross, which is also requesting improved protection mechanisms for these schemes.

In addition, a national integration policy that encourages more equitable support for all displaced people was called for, in addition to increased assistance for displaced individuals to enter the private rental market and more inexpensive housing.

Read more: UK government abandons Ukrainian refugees, leaves hundreds homeless

Families living unsafe

Sal Copley, the executive director of communications and external affairs at the British Red Cross, explained, “Over two years ago people in Ukraine had their lives turned upside down. They needed our support and compassion, and the UK became a place of safety for many thousands.

Copley added, “However, that safety has not always offered the stability people need to rebuild their lives. Too many families have ended up sleeping rough or living in places where they have felt unsafe. This has had a damaging impact on mental health and wellbeing. We need to improve the support available for Ukrainians here in the UK and learn from the Ukraine schemes so we can create more effective safe routes in the future.”

In response, a UK government spokesperson said, “The UK’s support for Ukraine is ironclad. Homes for Ukraine provides an important route for people seeking sanctuary. We will carefully consider the deeply concerning report and its findings.”

This is not the first time the British Red Cross sends out warning reports on the matter. 

Back in November 2022, it announced the increasing risk of homelessness Ukrainian refugees will have to face as they seek safety in the UK, and away from war. 

In a report cited by The Guardian, conducted by the British Red Cross and Heriot-Watt University, it was forecasted that 6,220 Ukrainian refugee families would be applying for homelessness support by the end of 2023 marking an increase of 13% from the year prior. 

A total of 298,430 families applied for homelessness support the year before, comprising 1.24% of UK households. The Red Cross report found that Ukrainian families were far more likely than others to end up homeless, mainly as a result of the cost of living crisis in the UK.