Ukrainian refugees and British hosts scheme.

Lemsip
As your probably aware there are some who won’t believe your daily Mail link ? But I listened to a long piece on this issue on Radio 4. Real people offering up their examples of what’s gone wrong.
The host families are talking about a tsunami coming down the line for councils because host families just can’t afford to host these people with the rising cost of living coming down the line this winter.

Trust the Daily Mail to sensationalise something.
My D and SIL are into their fourth month of hosting a mother and her 2 year-old son. It is actually going well, she’s a lovely woman and her little boy very sweet, although he did not seem to talk, trauma?
But of course , it’s not always easy and has not been made any easier by the pages and pages of bureaucratic bumph, the need to have familiarity with the system and the time and patience to spend hours on the computer chasing things up (eg it took three visits to the JobCentre before anybody admitted “T” didn’t need to attend in person every week) and it has needed a lot of support to organise her ESOL courses without which she cannot even look for work ( she’s a qualified tax accountant)
Even if she could earn enough to rent a flat, prospective landlords need credit references, 12 months of financial statements, bank statements and a guarantor. How do you do that when you have only been in the country for 6 months?
Of course it was never going to be easy - how many of us (or our AC) have experienced a flat share which has gone wrong ?
The government got off to a slow enough start with the Ukrainian refugee scheme and as visas were granted for three years should have been planning the next stage of a system of support for at least the next 6 months well before now.

I know personally of 2 families who hosted Ukrainian refugees and both have ended abruptly and, in one particular family, with so much upset and heartache for all concerned that the refugees left and returned home.

this was in The Times recently also The Independant.. different journalists so put differently of course.

you may say 'trust the daily mail to sensationalise something.
google and see where else it is maybe before saying that!
remember, you don't have to read it!

but it may get some people away from posting about the royals for a while!

and maybe find something in the news to post and create conversation!

Not only have I read other articles on the subject (Times, Telegraph on Wednesday and Guardian) but as this is very close to home, felt it appropriate to add my personal experience.

I have heard locally of a placement that has not worked out.
Apparently the guests are entitled and lazy.

lemsip

and maybe find something in the news to post and create conversation!

Are you saying I may not comment but have to “find something (else) in the news to post …etc” ?

Here. We. Go again.

MawtheMerrier

Not only have I read other articles on the subject (Times, Telegraph on Wednesday and Guardian) but as this is very close to home, felt it appropriate to add my personal experience.

Personal experiences are always good to hear, thanks Maw

The cost of living crisis is causing a lot of these breakdowns:

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/28/ukrainian-refugees-food-banks-uk-hosts-costs-families-war-charity

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11130697/Ukrainian-families-kicked-hosts-Whitehall-cash-never-came-1-300-homeless-risk.html

It was a bad idea from the start, of course people wanted to help but I do think they should have thought about how they would cope if their own families turned up to stay for months with no end date, let alone complete strangers with a different cultural background. Of course some are going to work well, I know of one in a wealthy area of Kent where the whole street has got involved with one mother and child but in an ordinary house with a spare bedroom and shared facilities this is bound to lead to trouble I would have thought.

I have often wondered what happens after the six month period. It was enormously generous of people to welcome complete strangers into their homes even for a limited period, in this case six months, but as there is no sign of the war ending, what happens now?

I am sure a large number of people here got swept along with a feeling of wanting to help, yet maybe they didn’t properly sit down and really think about what it would entail.

There were always going to be problems. At first I imagine everyone concerned was in a kind of honeymoon period with the Ukrainians hopefully very grateful and the British family carried along by feelings of generosity.

Inevitably though there were bound to be problems as that wore off.

Throw the looming energy crisis into the mix, and you have a huge problem.

I know of two cases where the relationships have broken down, amid some bad feeling.

And of one where it all seems to be going well, but in that case the hosts do have a huge house.

Chewbacca

I know personally of 2 families who hosted Ukrainian refugees and both have ended abruptly and, in one particular family, with so much upset and heartache for all concerned that the refugees left and returned home.

Yes - I do too.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4552566-support-thread-for-those-hosting-refugees-and-advice-for-those-thinking-about-it?page=31

Apologies for the long link.

There’s been a few threads on Mumsnet, sadly it hasn’t been a positive experience for everyone. I do admire those people who have welcomed refugees into their homes, I’m not sure I could have coped with living with strangers quite apart from not having the necessary skills to help traumatised people.

I agree with JenniferEccles people were swept along wanting to help but it's such a big ask. Unless you have a large house or separate accommodation it is going to be very difficult for everyone.

My brother and sister in law are hosting a single woman, and it is going all right so far. She is a university person, as they are. They do have a lot of space, and she has her own bathroom as well as bedroom. My s-I-l did say, though, that my brother said they ought to do this since they have the space, but she has to do all the work. My brother is disabled.

As far as I can glean from the news, in the majority of Ukraine, life is going on pretty much as normal Of course the situation is still very grim in the south and east bordering Russia, but I expect a lot of Ukrainians here and in other European countries will be cutting their losses and heading back.

My tuppence:
Two families locally whom I have met and I know both hosts. They went into it with their eyes open and it hasn't always been easy (esp bureaucracy Maw) but in one case the couple are both now working (she is cleaning, he is a builder) My friend says that her flat has never been so clean.
Another case it's a mother and 5 yr old autistic son. He has started school. Mother cannot work but they have a separate flat so are not actually sharing with the host family.
Their money has run out though so I don't know how sustainable it is for them.

There are several more families housed in the area and the local support has been great. The Ukrainian Embassy in Edinburgh is accessible too.

The use of foodbanks as a measure of deprivation is emotive and misleading too.
I use the foodbank occasionally (and donate) as they redistribute left over food from Supermarkets. It's the only place in town to get an M&S sourdough loaf still in date!