Guest
Thousands of Ukrainian refugees who fled to the UK seeking sanctuary after Russia’s invasion have been placed at risk of homelessness and exploitation in the UK, according to the British Red Cross. A report by the humanitarian organisation found that while overall the UK government’s schemes provided a lifeline to families seeking sanctuary, some Ukrainians faced weaknesses in safeguarding procedures and a lack of sufficient training and ongoing support for hosts. Clare Birkbeck, right, is hosting Katya Zaikhchuk and her son Sasha, 15. ’There’s nowhere else for them to go’: what next for 100,000 Ukrainians and the Britons who took them in? Read more Since the start of the Homes for Ukraine scheme in 2022, more than 9,000 out of about 200,000 families accommodated in the UK have been placed at risk of homelessness. This is often due to a breakdown of relationships with host families and difficulties in accessing the private housing market. Ukrainians were found to be four times as likely as the general population to experience homelessness. Between February and mid-June 2024 there was a weekly average of 379 new arrivals from Ukraine. Two ships used in Glasgow and Edinburgh to accommodate a total of 2,465 people between July 2022 and July 2023 were criticised for unsuitability due to lack of cooking facilities and an inability to accommodate the Ukrainians’ guests. sources:
