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

Good to hear - would you be able to house more than one person?

Just wondering how much space people have.

I am and many others who agree with me.

How many will you be housing?

Did you bother to read the post you responded to? I’m sure if the poster had relatives wanting to seek asylum in the UK she/he’d be more than happy to offer financial and emotional support.

if this is in fact the basis of the scheme it seems entirely sensible.

No, but not because I don't think we have a responsibility to welcome refugees into the UK but I think local authorities with oversight of the range of services that people need to support their integration should be take the lead on resettlement into their areas.

Exactly. Once Universities, businesses and church or community groups actually have to take responsibility for public safety in addition to committing to finding refugees education, work, health, benefits and emotional support we'll find there really isn't the public support for it because theyll say oh it's not safe or we can't provide x, y or a.

And will stop them from claiming people who have concerns about refugees and asylum seekers are racist because now it's become their problem.

Given that 200,000 households signed up to house ukrainians (and not all were allocated ukrainians), I suspect there will be lots of people who will sign up to this. I think there are risks. I have a spare room or two. Theoretically, I could cut a deal with a crime gang to facilitate entry to the UK of a couple of their mates. ‘On paper’ they’d live with me, but they could easily disappear. Who would check? There are already tens of thousands who have disappeared from the system.

This is a really good idea. Its very similar to the Ukrainian scheme. I find it shocking that we can’t support women escaping torture and rape in places like Sudan, Afghanistan. We used to be better as a country.

Yes I am aware of that scheme, thank you though.

Under the Tories, it became very difficult for anyone to claim asylum in the UK because the legal routes were closed up. Exclusions were programs like the Ukrainian scheme and a scheme set up for a limited number of Afghan refugees.

The result? Massive increase in illegal entries via small boats.

This scheme seeks to address that. It's providing a very limited number of spaces to try and reduce the amount of illegal entries that then require housing via Councils in hotels etc. The scheme is about enabling community groups and charities to support refugees so that the onus is removed from stretched council budgets, and make the risky crossing across the Channel (usually involving criminal gangs in France) less appealing.

It is NOT about asking the average Mumsnetter to open up her home for some random stranger. So all the posters gleefully shouting about how it's time for "lefties to put their money where their mouths are" just come across as a bit clueless.

I don't think we have any responsibility towards refugees now. I used to. But I've seen what issues have been caused since the crisis started. Priority is British citizens

Who will be funding the university places?

My daughter's fees are £10k a year and she will have to pay that back.

Then there is accommodation etc.

The tax payer?

This is going to cost billions and flood the universities with undocumented men.

I have a suggestion - the government should provide immediate tax relief to those hosting a refugee.

That would rapidly bring an end to this latest harebrained initiative….

How are you so sure? The Times doesn’t say that. They report it’s similar to the Ukrainian scheme.

Btw asylum rate was very high in 2002 when Labour was in. Just via lorries.

Yes! Come on then, roll up! roll up!

Waiting....

😂

No it's about getting the already financially decimated British public and businesses to personally fund an influx of yet more migrants themselves.

So you’ll sign up?

So will you be doing?

No way.

Too risky. And frankly COL and the fact that this Government seeks to tax net contributers like me into oblivion plus treating us like complete shit I don't see why I should step in for Government failings.

Lorries, boats, I don't care. The point is we should control who stays here . They cross here illegally, doesn't mean we have to accept them. Can someone ask how we benefit from having them here?

Charity, scholarships will fund them eg https://universities.cityofsanctuary.org/

And this isn’t about just immigration - these are REFUGEES. If I needed refuge from my country, I’d be hoping other countries would take me in.

@WheretheFishesareFrightening you expect others to take in refugees even though you won’t do so yourself?

I always find in the UK it's actually hard to get merit based scholarship for domestic students. But come here illegally and get university paid for.

This is going to be another immigration shitstorm.

The definition of ‘child’ has proven to be somewhat flexible