More than 44,000 offer to house a Ukrainian refugee as UK’s ‘DIY asylum’ scheme opens

Surge comes as Michael Gove is accused of presiding over chaotic scheme in which families find people to take in via social media

Refugees from Ukraine arrive at Medyka, near the Polish-Ukrainian border, on Monda
Refugees from Ukraine arrive at Medyka, near the Polish-Ukrainian border, on Monday Credit: Darek Delmanowicz/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

More than 44,000 people offered to host a Ukrainian refugee in their homes within the first five hours of the Government's sponsorship scheme being launched on Monday.

The surge in interest came as Michael Gove, the Communities Secretary, was accused of presiding over a "DIY asylum" scheme because British families will have to find refugees to take into their homes through their own devices such as social media platforms.

Senior Tory and Labour politicians warned of potential chaos over the need for British families to connect with a Ukrainian refugee, who will then have to fill out a 50-page visa application form outlining their destination in the UK.

Charities said the first wave of the sponsorship scheme to take in Ukrainians with no family links to the UK would favour the more articulate and educated, potentially leaving out more vulnerable refugees.

Community organisations, charities and companies that could act as middlemen to match and bring in groups of refugees will only participate in a second phase, which Mr Gove promised would be launched "as soon as possible", but potentially not until next week.

Mr Gove confirmed that the uncapped scheme will enable Ukrainian refugees to live and work in the UK for up to three years, with "full and unrestricted access to benefits, healthcare, employment and other support".

Those offering a place to stay will receive a tax-free monthly payment of £350, which will not affect benefit entitlements or council tax status. The sponsorship route comes on top of visas for Ukrainians with family links to the UK, which has so far seen 4,000 applications approved.

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Mr Gove repeatedly banged on the despatch box as he told MPs: "I have had it up to here with people trying to suggest this country is not generous."

But Lisa Nandy, the shadow communities secretary, told him: "He can't seriously be asking Ukrainian families who are fleeing Vladimir Putin, who have left their homes with nothing, to get on to Instagram and advertise themselves in the hope a British family might notice them.

"Is this genuinely the extent of this scheme? Surely there is a role for the secretary of state in matching Ukrainian families to their sponsors, not just a DIY asylum scheme where all he does is take the credit."

Sir Roger Gale, the Tory MP for North Thanet in Kent, said he feared "chaos" unless the Government intervened to help facilitate the pairing and "meeting and greeting" of refugees.

Sir Roger is due to meet Lord Harrington, the new refugees minister, to set out his proposals on Tuesday. He suggested one option could be to bring refugees by coach to a Home Office immigration facility at Manston, a former RAF base in Kent, which had the capacity to process 1,000 people a day.

"You could set up a meet and greet centre there, marry up British families with Ukrainian families and, if they come with nothing, provide them with clothes, toys, whatever they need," he said.

"If you don't do something like that, if you don't set up reception centres near Heathrow, Stansted and Luton, then I think we are in for chaos."

Tim Naor Hilton, the chief executive of Refugee Action, said: "We are hugely concerned that the Government is relying on matching to select which refugees get protection because it can mean the most vulnerable people are left behind.

"Refugee protection must be based on need and not be exclusive to people who have access to social media or an established connection to someone in the UK."

A new online visa application system for Ukrainians with passports will launch on Tuesday so they can do biometric checks after arriving in the UK rather than booking in-person appointments at Home Office centres abroad.

But Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: "If they don't have their passport – and many won't – they have to go through the process of providing biometrics before travelling to UK and waiting a long time to get clearance."

Mr Gove said the Government wanted to "minimise bureaucracy and make the process as straightforward as possible".

Sponsors will have "light touch" criminal record checks followed by visits, where possible, by council officials to vet the standard of accommodation.

Read the latest news from the Russia Ukraine conflict in today's live blog

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