100,000 Brits have offered to house Ukrainian refugees
On March 13, the UK government announced a program through which individuals, companies, and community groups can offer to host refugees from the war in Ukraine in spare rooms or empty homes, for a minimum of six months. Less than 24 hours after registration had opened, 100,000 potential hosts were signed up.
Now, the real work begins. The government has done a good job of appearing to open its arms to those displaced by the invasion—particularly after it faced loud criticism for failing to waive visa rules for Ukrainians, as other European countries have done, which left only two routes into the country for refugees: joining family members, or relocating for specific jobs.
Homes for Ukraine, as the new hosting program is called, allows the government to avoid a visa waiver, but it could potentially allow a lot of people in: “There will be no limit or cap on the sponsorship route,” according to the FAQ page on the program’s website.
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