Support from Scottish teachers to pupils who fled the war in Ukraine has been “priceless”, a Ukrainian MP has said.
The most up-to-date figures show more than 60,000 refugees have come to the UK, with 5% of respondents to a recent survey saying they settled in Scotland, following the Russian invasion in February.
Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian MP and leader of the liberal Voice party, met with refugees who had come to country on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists at the Scottish Parliament ahead of meetings with party leaders, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and presiding officer Alison Johnstone, Ms Rudik expressed her gratitude for the work the UK has done in taking in Ukrainians who have left the country and in providing military aid and supplies.
“On behalf of them and on behalf of the Ukrainian people, I would like to extend my gratitude for all the love and support that we have got here,” she said.
“It has been incredible how people who never knew Ukraine are supporting us with all their capabilities and capacities and it’s been extremely (heart-warming).”
Issues faced by refugees, Ms Rudik said, are “mostly operational”, including the provision of childcare and language courses, but she is confident these will be fixed quickly.
She added that, in most cases, host families or others have offered to look after children or help in other ways.
But the MP’s most effusive praise is reserved for teachers of youngsters fleeing the war zone.
There was a woman who was telling me how the teachers were staying after hours to help out Ukrainian refugee kids to adapt and I think that's a priceless thing
“There was a woman who was telling me how the teachers were staying after hours to help out Ukrainian refugee kids to adapt and I think that’s a priceless thing, because it’s really something that is needed,” Ms Rudik said.
The MP also called for more localised support to be sent to Ukraine, as opposed to bulk shipments of aid from country to country, suggesting a scheme similar to twinning arrangements.
Such a change could lead to people in the UK seeing more directly the impact their funding and support is having in Ukraine, she said.
“I do not believe in country-to-country help,” she said.
“I do believe in, like, Glasgow to Kyiv, Edinburgh to Kyiv, Edinburgh to Bucha support.
“This is what we have seen working much better, when people see the impact they’re having in supporting Ukrainians and support Ukraine.”
Using more localised support, Ms Rudik said, Britons would be able to look at specific projects and say “this is the kindergarten we’re helping to rebuild, these are the exact families we are helping to fund or support, these are the schools we are providing books for”.
