The UK government’s Homes for Ukraine refugee hosting scheme has seen more than 180,000 Ukrainians granted visas so far. With more than 7 million Ukrainians scattered across Europe, this has, of course, been the right thing to do.
But after six months of the scheme the challenges that hosting refugees has posed to essential public infrastructure – including childcare, healthcare, housing – are evident.
The UK government is now reportedly asking hosts, who initially only agreed to a six-month term, to extend their commitment and is encouraging more people to consider hosting. But a recent survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that only 23% of hosts are willing to continue hosting beyond 12 months, while 42% of hosts would not consider doing it again.
