Will you sign up to the new refugee sponsorship scheme?

[JoyousOpalLemur]

The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is apparently announcing next week a new refugee sponsorship scheme.

It would allow households to privately sponsor refugees from conflict zones.

Applications open this autumn, with the aim of resettling more than 10,000 people.

It’s modelled on Canada’s scheme and the Homes for Ukraine programme.

Sponsors would commit to providing financial, emotional and practical support.

What do people think? I just can't help thinking that with the current pressures on housing, schools, GPs and local services, how this will actually work in practice? Has anyone been involved in the Ukraine sponsorship scheme and can share what it was really like day-to-day?

Curious to hear everyone’s views.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/home-secretary-announce-scheme-refugees-uk-lgdr8ff25

It is a big fat NO from me 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

You could alway buy a rubber boat and paddle yourself across to France.

No. My brother hosted Ukrainians and had a horrendous experience. I live alone and im disabled. And a rape survivor. It’s too risky.

I'm also a massive introvert but if I really morally agreed with the scheme I'd try and get over that, as I've got over it other times in my life if the end goal was particularly important to me.

I just don't here - and unfortunately this thread and the good points made by many on it has helped solidify that opinion.

To all those who say they would have one to live with you can I ask why you're not already housing one of the 380,000 homeless people in the UK?

Because you could very easily.

Otherwise, it makes you look like a virtue signaller who will only help someone based on colour and that would make you a massive racist.

Haven’t read all the posts but what happens when the people decide they cannot or no longer want to sponsor the person that’s staying with them?

My son had a Ukrainian refugee in his class and when their sponsor could no longer continue to keep them, they had to move back to Ukraine because they couldn’t afford to stay in the UK (we live in one of the most expensive towns in the UK and the mum was working as a school dinner lady). Quite frankly it’s disgusting to promise somebody safety and for them to then be left in a position whereby they have to go back to the country they’ve fled from. There were a small number of other Ukrainian refugees at school, none of which are there any more so it does make me wonder what’s happened to them all. Presumably they’ve all had to move out of our area, not necessarily back to Ukraine, because their hosts could no longer support them. There really needs to be a proper plan for people, not just dumping them on individuals who want to try and help but can’t do it indefinitely.

The community groups tend not to provide funding, unfortunately, they just act as a letting agent.

So why won't you?

It's a bonkers idea. If more money isn't spent on defence we'll be the ones in the conflict zone.

A spare room would be taken quickly I have no doubt.

I think it's in response to all the bleeding hearts who post on SM about how we should welcome everyone with open arms because they must be desperate to want to come here and usually aren't impacted on a daily basis by the huge problems created.

This is their opportunity to welcome a refugee into their home. Except they won't. And will say well t's not safe and there's a lot of responsibility there to support people which is just too much. But they're happy to let the responsibilities rest elsewhere.

I'm surprised this is a thing. I thought she was going to make it harder for them to stay and come here. We don't want them here.

How do you know that level of detail? The scheme has not been set up yet.

I suspect some posters just want to use the scheme to have a gleeful bash at others, tbh.

I'm not in the UK and live in a town which takes refugees. There is a local group who does all the work involved, finding houses for them, helping them integrate, learn the language, the laws etc., plus lots of volunteers who also help. Taking them into your home sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

Where I used to live one of our neighbours hosted a woman and her daughter from Ukraine under that scheme and after a year said they couldn't afford to keep paying for them (the woman had a job by this point but wasn't contributing financially to the house) and what were their plans and the woman doubled down, stopped speaking to the family and continued to live there.

The atmosphere in the house became toxic because it ended up with the house seemingly split in two, nobody talking and they couldn't get them out.

We moved so no idea if they are still there.

You can offer a room now anyway. If you’re keen.

What I don’t want is people like me who won’t participate being slated and castigated. I’m sure that’ll happen from the virtue signallers who can’t do it because reasons. Just because I have a spare room.

if you want to do it knock yourself out.

Who here with young DDs would happily welcome them in to their own home?

So the question is if they don't think it's safe for them, why is that?
What is it about these men that makes them unsafe? 🤔

And why do they think it's ok for other people to live amongst that level of unsafety?

This is an invitation to put up or shut up.

And people will shut up so it will be leading to it be harder for refugees.

Because it's based on the Canada scheme and that's what happened in Canada.

To be fair, the community groups there sometimes DO help with costs, but they don't give money to the individuals offering up their spare rooms.

There is a link upthread where you can sign up.

Can't wait to hear about your wonderful experience.

Speak for yourself

I'm sure many Mumsnetters will be signing up for this.

Whether its the govt or an individual that provides the direct support, it’s always the individual who pays - where do you think the government’s money comes from?