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

From the actual Home Office instead of a newspaper not exactly known for its lack of bias...

"New safe and legal routes for refugees to come to the UK will begin to rollout in the autumn, giving genuine refugees a pathway to rebuild their lives.Our new community sponsorship scheme will allow approved groups to choose the refugees they sponsor, taking responsibility for their housing, integration and supporting them into work. Trusted universities will be able to directly sponsor refugees through a new refugee study route.A new refugee work sponsorship route is expected to open next year.All arrivals will have refugee status, undergo strict biometric screening, criminality checks and health assessments before arrival, to ensure support reaches those in genuine need.Numbers will start small and build over time, ensuring the routes remain controlled and sustainable while public confidence is restored in Britain's immigration system.The first refugee arrivals are expected by autumn 2027."

And oh, I wonder what happened in 2002 that caused a massive increase in people seeking asylum....

Absolutely not ! They often come from cultures that have no respect for women/ girls . The potential consequences of this have already been demonstrated.

Nobody is forcing them...

Really? I know a few who've successfully hosted Ukrainians

I had a very positive experience hosting a mother and child. They were wonderful people and I’m proud to have been able to help them.

Absolutely not.

Because they are all doctors or highly educated

Whatever happened you still had high numbers under Labour.

Funny how annoyed people are at the suggestion they could help out with refugees in their homes. Why not?

My friend at work has had a positive experience hosting two Ukranian ladies. She talks about it quite a lot.

We wanted to help with the Ukrainian scheme. Then not when the expectation was for a minimum of six months. 1-2 months while something suitable was found, we could have done it, I think. Nowadays, no. I knew of one person who did this. She was a bleeding heart right winger (they exist) and she had a bad experience. But then she often falls out with people anyway.

Will be interesting to see if any Labour MPs lead by example and sign up to their own scheme......

Well yes to your last paragraph.

That was Ukraine, an Eastern European mostly Christian country after the country was invaded by Russia and due to several factors, only about half of that number were supported under the scheme, many who already had family members living in the UK who couldn't house them but vouched for them.

There wouldn't be anywhere near that number of take up for refugees of other nations or if the nation was unidentified.

There's a big difference between people seeing a European country invaded by Russia, a threat to Europe itself and thinking that's horrific, I want to help and agreeing to take any refugees from anywhere around the world.

Notice all the posters mentioning having a positive experience with the last housing the Ukraine's are all mentioning having a woman come stay with them..

Would it be the same if it had been a man???

Would or will?

Here you go: refugeesathome.org/

Read my other posts.

As I said, some posters just want to use this scheme as a "gotcha" to bully those of us who don't automatically hate all refugees.

Hosting a refugee isn't something anyone should leap into without a lot of careful thought and research. @RedToothBrush wrote a very good post about potential pitfalls.

And if a person decides hosting a refugee isn't for them, that doesn't mean they can't still support the UK accepting refugees. It doesn't mean they can't offer help in other ways. It also doesn't mean they can't object to some of the very negative rhetoric that is bandied about.

Exactly this. Its a recipe for fraud, corruption and scamming.

Trouble is the left if the Labour Party are now in charge, so we can expect more of this.

It’s not surprising at all people have said no. Of course it’s for others to do.

We hosted a Ukrainian mum and 2 DCs for a couple of years, and it was an amazing experience. Yes, it can be difficult having guests in your home for a long period, but the positives far outweighed the negatives. They were very traumatised when they arrived, speaking no English. It’s been a privilege to watch them settle and grow.

We’re like grandparents to them now, we still see them all the time, babysit, go on holiday together. Mum works full-time and goes to college, and they’re renting a house local to us. The children are excelling in school. I’m so proud of them, we live them to bits.

I would absolutely host another refugee family, but only a woman with children.

No… I am trying to achieve my own goals and dreams not pay to support someone else’s. Sorry. And I couldn’t do it in good conscience with my children in the house.

Well that's the thing. Ukraine sent away their women and children to safety.

Many migrants coming in are men. Sometimes young single men from coutnries that do not value women or respect democracy and human rights, and not all of whom are truly escaping a life or death situation. It's not 'racist' to say that- it's a fact.

We very temporarily hosted an elderly Ukrainian woman. (and I mean weeks, not months because her more permanent placement was not yet ready). Despite the fact I have spent most of my life in Eastern Europe and speak Russian I still would have hesitated it if it were a single man.

We don’t need more doctors! There are thousands of British doctors waiting for training places as we speak…

Hell no

Who anyone here willingly house a male aghani or Somalian or Sudanese migrant?

Were you supportive of the UK accepting Ukranian refugees?