Many Ukrainians were in a state of panic after Russia invaded their country. She says they thought there would be no invasion. As missiles rained down on Ukraine, the 36-year-old and her 12-year-old daughter packed up and left their apartment in Kyiv, a city she had lived in for 20 years. The mother and sister of Plyushch joined the pair as they prepared to leave the city. A friend of theirs works at a car rental company and gave them keys to a car. Russian missiles could be heard as the four set out for Dnipro. The experience was very frightening.
The day after her family left Kyiv, the Ukrainian armed forces shot down a Russian drone above her apartment in the capital. The house is still there. Everything is not certain. Her daughter was scared to stay in Ukranian because of the incident. They flew to the U.K. after catching a train to Warsaw and staying for one night. She says that they didn't have many options until the U.K. launched the program.
Ten thousand Ukrainians have arrived in the U.K. under a novel government program, unlike anything else in Europe. If a host is willing to provide a spare room for a minimum of six months, then any Ukrainian who wants to come to Britain can do so. The program started on March 18 and people who took part from the beginning hit the milestone in September. Thousands of Ukrainians are at risk of facing homelessness because of the peak flow of arrivals in April and May. James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, is concerned about the growing number of Ukrainians presenting as homeless to their local government.
Europe begins to cool on Ukrainian refugees during the winter.
According to the latest survey by the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics, 25% of hosts don't plan to stay past six months. After six months, 15% of respondents said they weren't sure about their plans. Thousands of Ukrainians are expected to leave the U.K. by the end of the year. According to the U.K. government data, 2,985 Ukrainians have been homeless in England.
Critics say that the risk of homelessness is unique and leaves most of the burden on the private sector. The launch of the program came after Boris Johnson dragged his feet over welcoming Ukrainians. The European Union approved a plan to grant Ukrainians the right to live and work in the bloc for a year. Poland took in over 1 million Ukrainian refugees by March 7, compared to 50 Ukrainians who had been granted refugee visas for the U.K. This is not good. Desperate Ukrainian families are being turned away because they don't have enough money. The Home Office needs to get a grip of this quickly.
Britons were eager to see the United Kingdom open its doors to Ukrainians. The Room for Ukrainians in the U.K. was launched in March because of the growing pressure on the Johnson government. There is room for Ukrainians in the U.K.
Around the time of Shore's initiative, there were a number of similar Facebook groups. Thousands of Ukrainians have been matched with hosts thanks to these ad hoc groups. The decision to stop permitting new posts was taken in September. In addition to her job teaching English at the Ukrainian Institute London charity, Plyushch works part-time as a community administrator for Opora, a registered charity. According to Bene, Opora has matched at least 8,000 Ukrainians with hosts because they can match on our platform and then take it forward themselves.
There is a lack of hosts. Alice Good is the founder of the Sunflower Sisters, a group of women who support Ukrainians coming to the U.K. Bene says that the current pool of sponsors is very empty. It was very different at the beginning. The number of sponsors and the number of Ukrainians were different. There wasn't a lot of knowledge about the Home's for Ukraine scheme.
The cost-of- living crisis is one of the factors that reflects the reversal. Inflation is at a 40-year high in the United Kingdom. The U.K.'s fiscal watchdog predicts that living standards will shrink over the next two years as a result of the massive package of tax hikes and spending cuts unveiled by the finance minister.
Western leaders need to keep up public support for their country.
Local governments and campaign groups are trying to find ways to bring in new hosts or keep existing ones. As inflation and energy costs increase so new or existing hosts are encouraged to sponsor, it is crucial that support to sponsors is enhanced. There was a proposal to double the monthly payments from the government, but it was put off. Councils are starting to top up the government's thank you payments because they are concerned about the homeless crisis.
Councils have a responsibility to support Ukrainians who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including providing temporary housing where required to ensure no family is without a roof over their head, according to a Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities spokesman. The government has pledged funding for people under the Homes for Ukraine program. There are urgent solutions to pressing housing needs in the short and long term that are needed, according to the Local Government Association.
Re-matching Ukrainians with current or new hosts is a viable short-term solution according to Bene. The system isn't going to work unless there is a concerted effort to get more people on board. While the sponsorship system allows Ukrainians to find a place to live in the private rental market, it is not possible for many, with rents hitting record highs and landlords demanding six or more months of payments upfront.
It was an issue that Plyushch had to deal with after he arrived in Britain. She was warned by her sponsor that she would be leaving London for England. Plyushch and Ana worked together in Ukranian, but Ana has lived in the UK for 20 years. It was not possible because it was so expensive. She was able to choose between moving with Ana to a new city, finding another sponsor in London, or returning to her home country of Ukraine.
After finding another sponsor, Elizabeth, and moving to a new area of London, Plyushch was able to enroll his daughter in an English school. Thanks to the generosity of so many Britons, more than 100,000 of their countrymen have been able to settle in the country. The coming months will be an uncertain time for Ukrainians in the U.K., but many express gratitude for the Britons who have opened their homes so far. They are not responsible for the attack onUkraine. The people were trying to help. They are very useful.
She considers herself lucky because of her stable work and place to live in London. More support will need to be provided in the coming months according to Ukrainians like her. The situation in Ukraine is getting worse as Russia targets the country's energy infrastructure. She sympathizes with people who are worried about the cost of living. The cost of life is something she wonders about.
If you would like to write to Adam, you can do so at adam.rasmi@time.com
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