Money for refugees

I don't know the answer to your question, Travelsafar. But this seems another ill thought-through govt wheeze.

Plainly Pritti Patel has been a disaster. She and her ministerial team should be replaced now with competent people, not with a quick fix from Michael Gove..

Many of the refugees will speak no or little English. They will need to be close to regular transport, schools, health services, and access to jobs, and also close to one another. Are the households which offer accommodation also expected to provide these support services? That needs to be made clear.

Is the Afghan resettlement scheme up and running now, or are the Ukrainian refugees in effect cannoning into the back of the last unsolved problems?

If the govt can afford £350 per month for hundreds of households for min 6 months, which it can, why can it not do more to relieve the destitute poverty that prevails in many areas of the UK. It can afford that too.

I read something about the new minister for justice talking about this new scheme being the privatisation of refugee support services. If so, the govt has sunk to yet another low.

Michael Gove said it was £350 regardless of how many refugees you take in, not per person.

I receive long stay students and get paid £100 a week. The more I accomadate at anyone time the cheaper it becomes for me to look after them.

These schemes really do shoot holes in the 'we can't afford it' rhetoric of the government. They have insisted that we need the NI hike as there is no money for social care for people who have paid in all their lives, and that the £20 a week UC uplift is unaffordable, but there is money for weapons and for privatised refugee aid.

The trouble is that anyone questioning this will be accused of being unpatriotic, or of not caring about the refugees, which is by no means necessarily the case.

I suppose the long stay students finance themselves with help from their institutions. And they will be self-sufficient in other ways and also be out of the house for much of the day. The realities of the Gove scheme (starting tomorrow!) are yet to be explained.

Thank you Doodledog for reinforcing and putting much better my point about the govt's 'can't afford it' mantra about housing and social care.

From what I have seen, many Ukrains speak very good English. And if we get the right mix, many will be doctors, teachers and nurses, many of whom will only stay 'til they can return to their homes. But looks like after all the devastation caused by Putin's men, the Ukraine will have to be rebuit.

The UK like many Europeans have had a long run, what with Brexit, Climate change, Recession, the Pandemic. and now the war waged by Russian dream of restoring the Soviet Union makes me wonder if our lives will ever return to what we knew.

I met have got that wrong, geeljay - if so, sorry. I have no idea how many Ukrainians speak working English. I understood that men of fighting age were staying in Ukraine which is why I take it that most refugees will be women and children, and older people one hopes.

This is ill considered and just a knee jerk reaction. This govt's reaction to the Ukraine refugee crisis has been atrociously slow and hostile, and this is just a distraction. Like the stupid ideas of putting Ukrainian refugees in properties seized from Oligarchs. All designed to appeal to those who believe the government care.

I think I agree GillT57.

Some commentators have started to use the racist word as in all the Ukrainian refugees are white and are getting help where as the refugees who arrive in boats are predominantly black or Asian.

Seems that this Govt only deals in money. Throw money at 'it'. Take money away from 'it'. Seems to be no ongoing thought of consequences of actions. Certainly no compassion. I despair.

MerylStreep a lot of the refugees who arrive in boats are economic migrants comprising a lot of men. The Ukranian refugees are, by and large, women and children plus elderly people.

Its always 'exceptional circumstances' and 'unprecedented times'. Someone needs to wake up to the normal everyday on the doorstep too, but thats just banal.

Much as many of us want to help....£350 sounds generous until you think, hang on "What does it actually mean to "Sponsor" someone from overseas? " and google it.

Basically, anyone who signs up as a sponsor is legally responsible to meet ALL of the refugees needs, including medical bills that you can bet will not be met by the NHS. I don't feel like £350 will go far in the event of medical attention... It's wise to get legal advice and understand the full legal responsibilities of a Sponsor.
umlawgroup.com/what-does-it-mean-to-sponsor-an-immigrant-with-an-affidavit-of-support/#:~:text=Sponsoring%20an%20immigrant%20means%20you,for%20that%20person's%20medical%20expenses.

If we can afford limitless medical expenses, food and help of any kind as required by the refugees, then we are in a place to agree to help. I feel it is important to fully understand what the government is actually asking- and everything that a SPONSOR legally is, because much as we would want to help, how many of us can afford private healthcare and financially supporting another person in every way?

OK, scrub that link. I posted the wrong one and I have lost the one I meant to post.

Basically these people are going to need a lot of help and lets hope that people come forwards who can afford medical bills, counselling, new belongings and every type of help these refugees need. I know I am not able to help in this way, unfortunately- though I hope that everyone who needs help is able to come.

A person will have no recourse to public funds when they are ‘subject to immigration control’, as defined at section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. A person who is subject to immigration control cannot claim public funds (benefits and housing assistance), unless an exception applies.

Excerpt taken from www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk/information-and-resources/rights-and-entitlements/immigration-status-and-entitlements/who-has-no-recourse-to-public-funds-nrpf

Skydancer

MerylStreep a lot of the refugees who arrive in boats are economic migrants comprising a lot of men. The Ukranian refugees are, by and large, women and children plus elderly people.

Thank you for that invaluable information, I had no idea.
Strange that I’d never seen that.

Re NHS : A person's immigration status will affect whether they are required to pay for some types of treatment.

www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide

I admire anyone able and willing to take on being a sponsor for one or more refugees and hope that no one does it blindly, thinking they will be "quids in" to pay their gas bill. A sponsor is a truly generous and affluent person, a philanthropist who is able to generously meet the needs of those they choose to sponsor.

My understanding of the community sponsorship scheme is that although one household houses the person/people then the community helps with some money.
We can’t offer a home but are able to contribute to the expenses of someone who can.
I may be wrong.

I’m interested to know exactly what Michael Gove’s plan is. Who will decide if the sponsors are suitable - local authorities? What would the sponsors be required to provide? There are so many well intentioned people who are very willing to welcome a Ukrainian person or family into their home (my daughter for one). £350 is a meagre amount, to my mind. I think that they should attempt to offer accommodation to multiple families, where they can be together, offering each other comfort, support and cultural stability. There are many houses owned by royalty that could be used.

Pamela, I don't know but I think it's important for anyone considering housing the refugees to check out the small print to make sure that they won't be more out of pocket than they can afford to be.

A few years ago I was asked by someone overseas if I would be their sponsor, but after researching my legal obligations I felt that I could not go ahead.

Much as many of us want to help....£350 sounds generous until you think, hang on "What does it actually mean to "Sponsor" someone from overseas? " and google it.

Basically, anyone who signs up as a sponsor is legally responsible to meet ALL of the refugees needs, including medical bills that you can bet will not be met by the NHS. I don't feel like £350 will go far in the event of medical attention... It's wise to get legal advice and understand the full legal responsibilities of a Sponsor.

If the £350 also has to cover medical bills as well as anything else, then I am sure there will only be a limited number of offers of sponsorship. You could end up with bills running into £thousands. How many on here could afford that?

If you are correct, then I'm amazed that the government has even suggested it as an option. Private healthcare insurance alone could eat up that money.

We have a Ukranian family staying with us - they are relatives of a Ukrainian friend who married an English man many years ago. Part of the family are staying with my friend, part with us. Apart from the parents (who are staying with my friend anyway) all the family speak English to some degree, enough to explain what they want/need, at any rate.