Ukrainians Forced To Choose 'Either War Or Homelessness'

Ukrainians in the UK are being forced to choose between homelessness and returning to their war-torn homeland as their sponsorship arrangements end, charities have warned.

- Holly Bancroft

Councils have a legal obligation to house Ukrainians if they do not have anywhere to live, but some local authorities have told refugees they cannot house them when their six-month Homes for Ukraine placement ends.

In one example, Ealing Council told a 23-year-old woman it was unlikely to be able to help her because she did not have "severe health needs", while others have been told they will only get help when they are 48 hours away from having nowhere to live.

Home Office figures show that 2,985 Ukrainian households presented themselves as homeless to councils between the end of February and November last year. Some 69 percent of those included dependent children, and the majority, 1,920, had come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

There was a 37 percent rise in Ukrainians presenting as homeless from October to November, as more sponsorship arrangements ended, with 670 households moved to temporary accommodation by councils.

Anna Jones, CEO of charity RefuAid, said: "We are facing a varied level of support from councils. Sometimes councils have said that until it is 48 hours before a person is made homeless, they can't help or they can't receive a referral. This is causing added stress to people who have already fled war. It is also a huge amount of pressure on hosts.

"Often, both the host and the guest have done the right thing of giving the councils three months' notice of the arrangement coming to an end, but they come back and say they can't help until the last minute.

"There is a very real decision for some of our families: is it better to be homeless in the UK, where you know nobody, or go back to Ukraine? These are all people who want to rebuild their lives in safety, and for whom six months is never going to be long enough to do so. We are pushing people off a cliff-edge."