The Levelling Up Secretary said he wants to “explore an option” of using sanctioned individuals’ properties to house Ukrainian refugees
(Picture: PA Wire)Michael Gove has given his backing to seize Russian oligarchs’ mansions to give a home to Ukrainian refugees.
The Levelling Up Secretary said he wants to “explore an option” of using sanctioned individuals’ properties to house Ukrainian refugees as Putin’s war wages on in Ukraine.
He told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme: “I want to explore an option which would allow us to use the homes and properties of sanctioned individuals – as long as they are sanctioned – for humanitarian and other purposes.”
However, he revealed there was quite a “high legal bar to cross” with the plan.
He added: “There’s quite a high legal bar to cross and we’re not talking about permanent confiscation.
“But we are saying: ‘you’re sanctioned, you’re supporting Putin, this home is here, you have no right to use or profit from it – and more than that, while you are not using or profiting from it, if we can use it in order to help others, let’s do that’.”
Mr Gove addressed the idea in Cabinet two weeks ago but faced some opposition, according to Mail On Sunday.
The newspaper reported an opponent of the plan said: “This is gesture politics more suited to a banana republic.”
It comes as Mr Gove spoke about the new Homes for Refugees scheme offering £350 a month to Britons who will give a room to a Ukrainian refugee escaping the war.
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up said it is expected the Government’s new sponsorship route will bring tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees to the UK.
Asked for his estimate of the number of people who could come to the UK through the scheme, he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “Tens of thousands.”
Children will receive education in UK schools and refugees will be entitled to full NHS health care, he said.
There would also be £10,000 per individual refugee given to local authorities, Mr Gove added.
He said: “There’ll be money available for local authorities… There will be just over £10,000 per individual available to local authorities.”
