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Original poster

Will you be opening your home up to Ukrainian refugees?

999 replies

musicalfrog · 11/03/2022 08:03

Interested to see how popular this will be considering so many of us want desperately to make a tangible difference.

My OH wouldn't be up for it I don't think, and we don't have a spare room so I will avoid that particular argument. But otherwise I think it would be such a great thing to do.

The govt is asking for a minimum commitment of 6 months. Will you be signing up?

OP posts:
Justkeeppedaling · 12/03/2022 10:29

"What happens after six months? It's not like there's suddenly going to be a lot of houses built, or any guarantee that the situation will be resolved".

6 months is long enough for more permanent plans to be put in place. Maybe even going home to rebuild their country.

Firefliess · 12/03/2022 10:34

@busyeatingbiscuits

I think you do probably need to be fairly sociable and laid back as a family for this to work. If you don't enjoy having guests or are very particular or anxious there may be other ways you can help without hosting.
I think that's entirely true. I've had lodgers before, and had young adult kids and step kids and their partners moving in and out over the last few years, and also done shared housing for many years when younger. I do think it could be a life expanding experience for our family.

But it's absolutely ok to say it's not for you - even if you have the space. If it won't work for your dog, anxious child, or marriage then it's fine to say it's not for you and help in other ways. I'd rather people just said that and didn't feel guilty than started pretending that the government could easily house thousands of refugees by requisitioning all the empty homes - "your mum died now has she? House empty? We'll be taking that then....!"

implantreplace · 12/03/2022 10:34

@Justkeeppedaling

"What happens after six months? It's not like there's suddenly going to be a lot of houses built, or any guarantee that the situation will be resolved". 6 months is long enough for more permanent plans to be put in place. Maybe even going home to rebuild their country.
You are aware that WW1 lasted 4 years WW2 lasted 6 years
buzzzliightyear · 12/03/2022 10:39

I couldn't offer it because my child is autistic and wouldn't cope and I don't have a spare room.

The way the government threw together those nightingale hospitals at a moments notice you'd think they could fill them with beds with dividers and create some kind of shelter? (I don't know if this or similar is already happening to be honest it just struck me as an idea).

Some people will happily open their homes and that's so generous and admirable but I don't think it's practical for a number of reasons for the vast majority of people.

maeveiscurious · 12/03/2022 10:54

I think people who have a second holiday home should be written to by the local council, caravans on the beach for summer. This would allow people to arrive and have a more coordinated response into winter.

Porcupineintherough · 12/03/2022 11:21

@implantreplace and so? You think Poland, Romanua and Moldova should be left to deal with the situation alone because things might take to long. Or should they too just shut their borders?

implantreplace · 12/03/2022 11:30

[quote Porcupineintherough]@implantreplace and so? You think Poland, Romanua and Moldova should be left to deal with the situation alone because things might take to long. Or should they too just shut their borders?[/quote]
My concern is child safe guarding

Porcupineintherough · 12/03/2022 11:33

@implantreplace that makes even less sense. Safeguarding in relation to what alternatives exactly? Being shelled? Living in a gym with 2,000 others? Destitution? It's an emergency , none of the options are 100% safe or ideal.

RiverSkater · 12/03/2022 11:34

We don't have space and even if we did I'd be conflicted as DD has anxiety and my relationship with DP is volatile at the best of times. 😕

Firefliess · 12/03/2022 11:35

@implantreplace. You're seriously suggesting that children are safer in a war zone than staying with their mum with another family in the UK? Hmm.

implantreplace · 12/03/2022 11:36

[quote Firefliess]@implantreplace. You're seriously suggesting that children are safer in a war zone than staying with their mum with another family in the UK? Hmm.[/quote]
Head wall

That wouldn’t be a safe guarding issue with their parent, would it?

It’s lone children

implantreplace · 12/03/2022 11:37

Such as the chap on LBC yesterday saying he had been contacted by someone on FB saying her 9 year old nieces was alone in a camp and would he bring her back

You wouldn’t be concerned by this?

Porcupineintherough · 12/03/2022 11:43

@implantreplace

Such as the chap on LBC yesterday saying he had been contacted by someone on FB saying her 9 year old nieces was alone in a camp and would he bring her back

You wouldn’t be concerned by this?

No. If he's not her uncle he wont be able to get a visa for her, they're not exactly dishing them out like lollipops. If he us her uncle then chances are hugely in her favour that she'll be safer with him than alone in a refugee camp.
implantreplace · 12/03/2022 11:45

Thankfully that’s not how safeguarding works

In this county fostering : adoptions require extensive investigation and exploration.
Ukrainian refugee children deserve the same protection

And if this means they have to stay in a refugee camp for an extended period than so be it

Blossomtoes · 12/03/2022 11:48

@Alltheprettyseahorses

Yeah, like someone is going to be welcoming for a year! The shine will wear off after 3 days. None of us would be happy in that situation. They are human beings: they deserve their own independent space with specialist services instead of someone's tiny box room. This is about them, not us getting a nice, warm feeling.
Our spare room is spacious and anyone who comes to live with us will have the run of the house and garden. They’ll be a hell of a lot more comfortable than they would be shoved into a Travelodge room with no cooking facilities or outside space. They can access specialist services wherever they live if they need them.
Porcupineintherough · 12/03/2022 11:50

Yeah cause nothing bad ever happened to an unaccompanied child in a refugee camp Hmm

Kendodd · 12/03/2022 11:56

@implantreplace
Let's imagine this Facebook lorry driver who's been all over LBC was able to drive this 9yo to her aunt in Brighton (heads up - he can't anyway) . Are you saying that is a worse and more risky situation for this child than being a refugee ALONE with no relatives to look after her on a foreign country?
To my mind, no option is ideal, but her being driven to the UK by Facebook/LBC bloke is the least worse option and perhaps most importantly it's the one her family want for her.

Kendodd · 12/03/2022 11:56

And I should add, its British bureaucracy blocking this.

Kendodd · 12/03/2022 12:00

And if this means they have to stay in a refugee camp for an extended period than so be it
You think she's safer in a refugee camp for an extended period than with her aunty?

implantreplace · 12/03/2022 12:12

[quote Kendodd]**@implantreplace
Let's imagine this Facebook lorry driver who's been all over LBC was able to drive this 9yo to her aunt in Brighton (heads up - he can't anyway) . Are you saying that is a worse and more risky situation for this child than being a refugee ALONE with no relatives to look after her on a foreign country?
To my mind, no option is ideal, but her being driven to the UK by Facebook/LBC bloke is the least worse option and perhaps most importantly it's the one her family want for her.[/quote]
I think to stay in camp until safeguard checks done re the van driver and the FB contact

Ukraine isn’t third world.
I’ve been there to visit an old friend
Their refugee camps won’t be like the Somalian ones. There will be care for lone children

implantreplace · 12/03/2022 12:13

@Kendodd

And if this means they have to stay in a refugee camp for an extended period than so be it You think she's safer in a refugee camp for an extended period than with her aunty?
at the moment all he knows is hat someone contacted him off FB saying she’s the girl’s aunt

So until safeguarding checks re the male van driver and the FB aunt

Yes I think safer I. Refuge camp

daisypond · 12/03/2022 12:15

There will be care for lone children
Thousands of lone children have already disappeared. No one knows where they are and who has got them. 150 children were sent from one, I think, orphanage to the border; they never arrived.

Porcupineintherough · 12/03/2022 12:48

@implantreplace the US isnt the "third world" (awful outdated expression btw) euther and look at what has been happening to unaccompanied children in their camps.

VisaQuestions · 12/03/2022 14:06

Hopefully children are safe. 50 orphans have arrived in a relatives village and are being cared for across the community. Their journey became impossible. Communications will be a mess, many will be reconnected as infrastructure is restored.

absolutelyknackeredcow · 12/03/2022 14:07

My DH and I have just discussed this.
We live in London in a house with a basement which could be converted for a mother with children.
We are on good incomes, have solid marriage and older primary DC.

I speak Russian badly which is a start.
He just said 'If not us, who?'.

I'm under no illusions how hard it could be but, as as previous posters have said, by the grace of god go I.