Britons will soon be asked to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing their country, as part of a new “sponsored” humanitarian route to allow more refugees to travel to the UK.
The route will give Ukrainians without family links to the UK the opportunity come to the country in order to escape the war against Russia.
It comes after the government faced criticism for its response to the refugee crisis. Michael Gove, the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, is expected to set out details of the new route on Monday.
Prime minister Boris Johnson told MPs that the route will allow “everybody in this country [to] offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine”.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is entering its third week and more than two million people have fled the country.
As of Monday 7 March, just 50 Ukrainians had been granted visas to enter the UK and refugees have reported facing too much paperwork to procure the visas. At the time, this was just 1 per cent of the 5,535 people who had applied to the scheme since Saturday.
Here is everything we know about how the scheme will work and how you can get involved:
What is it?
The new sponsorship scheme would reportedly give British individuals, charities, businesses and community groups the opportunity to offer rooms to those escaping the conflict.
According to The Daily Telegraph, ministers will announce a hotline and website where vetted individuals and organisations can offer up a space to incoming refugees.
Those who enter the UK through the new route will be allowed to stay for an initial period of 12 months. They will be entitled to work, claim benefits and access public services, it has been reported.
A spokesperson for the government said: “The routes we have put in place follow extensive engagement with Ukrainian partners.
“This is a rapidly moving and complex picture and as the situation develops we will continue to keep our support under constant review.”
How can I help?
The government has not yet launched its webpage or hotline, but once it does, you can register to offer accommodation and employment to Ukrainian refugees.
A similar sponsorship programme was launched in 2016 on a community level that allowed community groups including charities, faith groups, churches and businesses to help refugees resettle in the UK.
It was launched in response to the global refugee crisis, which saw 10.3 million people become newly displaced within the year. The UNHCR estimated that by the end of 2016, the global population of forcibly displaced people grew from 33.9 million in 1997 to a record high of 65.6 million in 2016.
Any member of the public could register through an online service to offer housing, work or support for resettling. These include helping people access public services, arranging transport and running errands, and welcoming people into the local area.
What is the current route for Ukrainian refugees?
As of Friday 11 March, Ukrainian refugees need to have family in the UK in order to apply for a visa to travel here.
From Tuesday 15 March, they will be able to apply for the visas online. Until then, those with family links are still having to travel to visa application centres in Ukraine to give biometric information, such as fingerprints.
Boris Johnson told MPs earlier this week that “almost 1,000 visas” have been issued since the start of the war, and that “we expect those numbers to rise to in the regions of hundreds of thousands”.
You can also help by donating to the people of Ukraine. Funds will go towards humanitarian aid, psychological support, and medical supplies for paramedics and doctors on the frontlines.
