Are you thinking of taking in Ukrainians?

[Lostmyname]

Came here thinking there would be thread about this, apologies if I've missed it.
We are a family of three with a spare room and I feel like this is something we could do, but am I seeing it through rose-tinted glasses? DH and kids on board with it.

I’ve literally just posted the exactly the same thread and the same time!

I live alone in a three bedroom house (could potentially make the living room into another room).

I’m not sure how many people to offer to host? I applied on an Ukrainian website for offering help (I think it’s been used more on a local level than for international hosting). I put down for 6 people but preference on one family.

I keep looking online to see when this government hub is going to be released as apparently it was meant to be today.

I’m wondering what the turn around will be as one of my spare room is essentially a store room and all of that will need to be moved into the loft (again).

There's about 50 threads on this subject, I don't think you looked very hard.

I have massive safeguarding concerns regarding this . I suspect it's basically to save cash . I worry about traumatised women and children being sent to stay with people who may not be doing this for the right reasons. ( I don't mean you ,OP).

Does your virtue signalling extend to taking in Nigerian Christians who are persecuted ever day and have been for years and who’s deaths in recent years far outweigh any that have been killed in Ukraine recently?

www.christian.org.uk/news/dramatic-rise-in-persecution-of-christians-in-nigeria/

No because I don’t have a spare room.

No I would not consider this.

No. Sounds like a nice thing to do in theory but I imagine in reality it will be fraught with problems

@LaraDeSalle

I wasn’t aware of this going on Nigeria and would happily host mother/children. I applied to host those fleeing Afghanistan but I’m only willing to host women/children as I live alone - I received an automatic reply from the charity that they were only finding placements for men at that time.

I’m also considering if I have the capacity to host someone from a war torn country as the trauma they must have developed would be something I won’t be able to assist with. While those from Ukraine will also have trauma from the last few weeks it will be nothing compare to living in war for years.

Hopefully this scheme will encourage those who haven’t hosted before to continue after the Ukrainians have either gone back home or moved onto something more permanent.

Surely all the spare rooms in the UK are taken up by refugees from other conflicts already? Afghanistan/Syria etc? No?

I have read that Poland have already specified that they want white refugees only, and it seems that people in the UK are more or less saying here that now we’re talking about white people we should all step up and do something.

There are 1. Million Syrian refugees still looking for homes, and yet we can apparently find homes for an unlimited number of Ukrainians overnight.

TBH I think that this will be fraught with issues. Safeguarding on both sides, you have no idea who you are letting into your home, and equally refugees have no idea who they will be staying with.

I suspect the amount of people saying they will be signing up will outweigh the ones who actually do. Talk is cheap.

No.

Its really frustrating as I have been registered with a charity to offer support to any refugee but seems to have amounted to little. I think my circs are better suited to this as well as you can offer to provide support for shorter periods of time.
What sort of hosts do you think would be best for Ukrainian scheme?
We dont have lots of cash but are willing to share what we have. Do you think anyone coming here would be able to access benefits? There's a big difference between offering board and meals and meeting every financial needs.
Anyone in the know or do we need to wait?

I’d love to but my bills have shot up so even though I have 2 spare rooms (1 a box room) I can’t afford it. If I lived with a partner who was open to this then I’d do it yes.

@AlternativePerspective

Not really an alternative perspective really. Comparing the Ukrainian crisis to the Yemen/Syrian/Afghanistan crisis is comparing apples to oranges.

I put forward to host a refugee/family back in November when Afghani’s were fleeing but only those who were women/children. Not because I don’t value male lives but as a single female I’d not want to live with a male lodger. Hosting a women id feel comfortable nipping from the bathroom to my bedroom in a towel or making breakfast in a vest top and shorts. I was never taken up on my offer to host a women/children.

I could also use my spare room to foster. While I’m more than happy to donate my time/house to a child I don’t have the skills/mental capacity/time to deal with the trauma/emotional needs of an at risk child.

I could also donate my spare room to host a homeless person but a lot of homeless people have mental health needs (addiction/undiagnosed mental health etc) that unfortunately the council/government don’t have the resources to help and I’d be playing Russian roulette who I’d get.

Taking in a Ukrainian family, that until a month ago the children were in school and the parents were at work, living a normal life like me and you. Sure they’re going to have trauma/stress that their husbands/brothers/dads are at home fighting, but for us, the ones willing to host, it’s a lot less ‘baggage’ to take on.

Their might be dodgy ones, ones who are arseholes, ones who are difficult but that’s the risk I’m willing to take to help a mother and her children. I don’t have my own kids but I’m an auntie and a cousin. If we were the ones being invaded I’d hope that someone with a spare room and enough chairs at the table would open their homes to them.

If I’m allowed to host I will. I don’t care on what colour skin or religion these Ukrainians have. I just hope my home will be a safe haven for them.

No - we have no room in our house at all. Every single room/space is taken. I WFH and struggled even to find a space for a small desk let alone space for an extra person!

I would be interested to know what the governments plan is after this initial 6 month proposed period - what then? What if they never return to Ukraine and the person who takes them in is then housing them until a permanent home becomes available? I can’t see the government in any rush to supply permanent housing

Possibly if we had a spare room and no kids at home but I can’t imagine the practicalities of a shared bathroom and a small kitchen with a non English speaking family for six months.

This is so hard isn't it? In principle, I absolutely would but my adult DC still living at home are more resistant and my DH (the world's most risk-averse man) is not keen. Where we live is in the sticks with no public transport, and there are questions for me over children's schooling etc.
On the other hand, a friend of mine whose opinion I really value said that families will be happy with a safe roof over their heads, knowing are fed and sheltered, so people shouldn't overthink things, go for it and just accept that it will impact on their way of living. I am so torn!

No , I’m happy to give money but I’m too set in my ways to have strangers living in my home .

No because they dont have the same culture as me and look like me and arent from the same continent as me.

No
But I definitely would if I had room
There are 5 of us , including a weekend visitor in a 3 bed house

@lemongreentea

That’s a shame that you feel that way as I know on the sign up form you won’t be able to put down a preference on their colour of their skin or religion.

I think the government have played a blinder here. They get to avoid having to find housing for these refugees but at the same time, say they are welcoming them. And they’re saying to the British public: ‘you want us to take them in, well here you go then, have them in your house. And if not enough people sign up, don’t blame us.’

There will be very few people signing up for this. Not that many people have spare rooms plus it’s all very upsetting and emotional when we see them in the tv and want to help, but the reality is that you’re going to be sharing your house with strangers for an unspecified amount of time. I’m just not seeing it.

No. In theory it's a nice idea, in practice, it wouldn't work for us.

[quote Holidayreservation]@lemongreentea

That’s a shame that you feel that way as I know on the sign up form you won’t be able to put down a preference on their colour of their skin or religion.[/quote]
Is it a shame isnt it. Shame so many other people on mumsnet expressed this view when it came to refugees Afganistan and Syria and it was widely accepted as a reason potenitally host Ukrainian refugees who 'look like us and have the culture' compared to refugees from non-European countries.

No. I don't have a spare room for a start and if even I did I wouldn't. I don't want to share my home with strangers especially with children involved. I think it's quite irresponsible. They need to come first. I would take a child if that was an option as we are qualified foster carers but we no longer have room due to having more children.

No