‘Scotland and Wales bid to be refugee super sponsors
The first ministers of Scotland and Wales want to get Ukrainians settled and cared for faster
Scotland’s first minister and her Welsh counterpart have proposed that both countries become “super sponsors” to Ukranian refugees fleeing the war.
Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford have written to the UK government to confirm their commitment in contributing to its community sponsorship scheme.
But Scotland and Wales have offered to step further to support refugees by acting as super sponsors.
It is hoped this would allow Ukrainians to come to the two countries faster.
The idea would be to get them into temporary accommodation immediately and then work with local partners to provide longer-term places to stay, including with host individuals, and give them access to safeguarding and services.
The UK government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme calls on people to offer a spare room or an empty property to a refugee for a period of at least six months.
In a joint letter to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, Ms Sturgeon and Mr Drakeford have emphasised that the government must provide more clarity on how the scheme will work.
The letter makes clear that no cap will be set by Scotland and Wales on the numbers of refugees they will welcome.
Scotland has made an immediate commitment to support 3,000 refugees in the initial wave, in line with the numbers that were resettled under the Syrian scheme. Wales would take 1,000.
The Scottish government said it would welcome “at least” a proportionate share of the total number who come to the UK.
The letter also says it is essential that all arrivals have access to public funds, including welfare benefits, and are exempted from the Habitual Residence Test for accessing these.
The first ministers also call for urgent clarity on funding arrangements to support local government and they have suggested a “per head” funding arrangement similar to the Syrian and Afghanistan schemes to support resettlement and integration costs.
Finally, the letter calls for all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals to be waived.
‘Play our full part’
Nicola Sturgeon said: “I want Scotland to play our full part in welcoming Ukrainians seeking sanctuary from war. The UK response so far has been beset with bureaucracy and red tape, when what is needed is humanity and urgent refuge for as many as possible.
“We are still awaiting full details of the proposed community sponsorship scheme. If the UK government is still unwilling to waive visa requirements, it is essential that this scheme works efficiently and effectively and allows people to come to the UK as quickly as possible.
“However, I am very worried that if people have to be matched with an individual sponsor before even being allowed entry to the UK, it will prove slow and cumbersome.”
She said that super sponsorship would allow large numbers to come to the respective nations quickly and that she would be able to welcome Ukrainians to Scotland as soon as possible.’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60722616
Loading...‘Ukraine war: UK households offered £350 a month for hosting refugees
Households in the UK will be offered £350 a month to open their homes to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme calls on people to offer a spare room or an empty property to a refugee for a period of at least six months.
But the Refugee Council said it was worried about the level of support for people traumatised by the war.
Labour said there many unanswered questions, and accused the government of “dragging its feet” over the crisis.
More than 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion, in what the UN has called the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War Two.
The government has faced criticism – including from its own MPs – over the speed and scale of its response.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove told Sky News that 3,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war have now been granted visas.
At the moment, only those with family connections are able to make an application, via the Ukraine Family Scheme.
The first ministers of Scotland and Wales have written to the Westminster government to propose that their nations go further, acting as “super sponsors” to offer temporary accommodation to refugees and enable them to come to the UK faster.
Announcing the new scheme, Mr Gove urged people to join the “national effort” and give a safe home to those in need.
Individuals acting as sponsors will be able to nominate a named Ukrainian individual or family to stay with them rent-free in their home, or in a separate property, for six months.
Sponsors won’t be required to know them in advance – they might find them, for example, through posts on social media.
There will be no limit on the number of refugees who can come to the UK through this route, and they will be given three years leave to remain, with the right to work and access public services.
Applications would be made online, with both sponsors being vetted and refugees having to go through security checks. The sponsor would get a “thank you” payment of £350 a month.
A website for people to express an interest in offering accommodation will launch on Monday.
In a later phase, organisations such as charities and churches will be able to do the same, though there is no start date for this yet.
Announcing the plan, Mr Gove said: “The crisis in Ukraine has sent shock waves across the world as hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been forced to flee their homes, leaving everything they know and love behind.
“The UK stands behind Ukraine in their darkest hour and the British public understand the need to get as many people to safety as quickly as we can.”
There is no sign of any end to the war in Ukraine, now in its 18th day
But the Refugee Council – a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK – said it was concerned that people from Ukraine were facing further “bureaucratic hurdles”, and said the government scheme fell short of what was needed.
Chief executive Enver Solomon said: “We are concerned that people from Ukraine are still not being recognised as refugees and being asked to apply for visas when they just need to be guaranteed protection.”
Claiming formal refugee status, or permission to stay for humanitarian reasons through the asylum system, does not require a visa and allows an applicant and their dependants to stay in the UK for five years, with the right to work, study and apply for benefits.
He said that the sponsorship scheme “will inevitably be restricted to those who are known to people in the UK and be a quite complex lengthy visa application process”.
Mr Solomon said there were also concerns about the support available to sponsors.
“We are talking about very traumatised women and children whose experiences are unique, and the level of support needs to match that,” he said.
“It’s like asking people to be foster carers without any robust checks, training or having a social worker in place to support them.”
Labour’s Lisa Nandy said it was unclear what support would be offered to vulnerable children and older people, whether provision would made for unaccompanied children, and what help would go to local government, sponsoring organisations and housing providers.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her counterpart in Wales, Mark Drakeford, called for all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals to be waived and urged the government to provide more clarity on how the scheme will work.
They said becoming “super sponsors” would allow the two nations to take refugees more quickly and give them access to safeguarding and services while a longer-term sponsor is found.
More than 20,000 Ukrainians have begun applications and Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested the UK could take in 200,000 refugees.
The European Union is allowing Ukrainians three-year residency without a visa, but the UK says controls on entry are essential for security.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60724111
Loading...https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/03/12/pi-day-recipes-sweet-savory/
Mmmmmm lovely tasty pies
Falling about laughing over this. You’ve really done a good job over something you couldn’t make up. I mean, they’re wheeling out someone like Miriam Margoyles who l thought had a few brain cells – obviously wrong. Saw somewhere, the ltalians are refusing to let the Ukrainians in unless they agree to having the jab. It was only a few month’s ago that we were supposed to stay away from people and couldn’t mingle with any in our homes. Have peeps memories got that shorter?
Yeah, right, go on, the likes of Gates, Musk, Bezos, Rothchildes, Michael Douglas, oh, and Zuckerberg who’ve got multi-million or billion properties, you first, then. F off.
Brill, this one, milad.
If the sheeple did there homework they would discover the Ukraine is still part of Russia, so in theory Putin is invading his own country.The thick sheeple just carry on sucking up the bullshit that the MSM feed them.The same MSM that has been telling them for the past 2 years if they go outside they will die from convid or if they visit relatives they will kill them..Fucking braindead cunts the Ukraine is run by a drug fuelled puppet who has been bought by every country with a criminal background.. Anything goes in the Ukraine its a den of eniquity run by the kazarian mafia..do some research its all there if you look for it,some people just like to be lead..
Loading...To be honest all peoples are being manipulated and used to further the agenda. Human trafficking. Destabilization, war, We have many refugees via Calais near me, all young men. They are staying in a nice hotel. In my view just a gilded cage. Humanity needs to see the harms and support each other against the globalist tyranny before it is too late. Unfortunately after the last two years I doubt many will understand what is happening or even care until it affects them personally and it will. Sadly the sacrifice of the elderly for the ‘greater good’ and to ‘save’ the NHS is a case in point. Collectively we allowed that to happen. Society is already broken.
Loading...I remember similar bullshit a few years ago with Syrian refugees. Nicola Sturgeon for one said she would be happy to take in a refugee. Plenty of other high profile people.
Can anyone find these video clips, and we can have them ready.
Look! Nicola said she wants refugees! And Gary Linekar. We can get ready in advance and play them at their own game
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Perhaps this is part of the WEF Agenda, where we will own nothing but be happy by 2030, this is one obvious way of invading our property to then gain rights over it, whether through the tenant having rights or other deceptive means. I have always asked how do they intend to take our property?
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