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Daily Record
Politics
Peter Davidson

SNP government charters cruise ship to house Ukrainian refugees heading to Scotland

Ukrainian refugees coming to Scotland are set to be housed in a huge ship in Edinburgh after new measures were announced by the SNP government.

The MS Victoria I will be docked in Leith and will provide the government with an additional 739 rooms to home people displaced by the war.

Those staying in the cruise ship, which holds 2,000 people, are expected to remain there for six months due to temporary accommodation reaching capacity across the country.

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The ship, built in 2004 and from Estonia, was spotted in the dock a day after the announcement came to pause the scheme.

Suspension of the super sponsor scheme for three months will take effect from 9am on Wednesday, July 13, however opposition parties have hit out saying it will "put lives at risk".

Since the scheme was introduced in March 7,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Scotland with many more expected to make the journey in the next couple of months.

A Scottish Government statement said: "With the temporary accommodation supply reaching capacity, the Scottish Government and local government have taken a creative approach to securing additional safe and suitable accommodation, including hotels and university campuses.

"We have also recently taken the decision to charter a passenger ship, to provide an additional 739 rooms for six months from July.

"The ship will offer displaced people safe accommodation, complete with restaurants, child play facilities, shops, cleaning and communal spaces, until they can move into their own homes or into Scottish households suitably sized and located once the appropriate person and property checks have been completed."

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