thread for those interested in refugee hosting/sponsorship

[EezyOozy]

I thought I would start a new thread about this as I have just heard on BBC news that they are opening up a web form tomorrow to express interest. Apparently families/households can claim £350 a month (I assume for increased expenses) and refugees will be eligible to claim or benefits and work. We have large a spare room but live rurally so whilst I will express interest I'm not sure we will be taken up on it.

I thought I would start a new thread for those who are interested and to follow the progress of the registration procedure/how this pans out in practice.

Posted here because it's the only place I know gets plenty traffic, I will probably be asking for this to be moved but don't know where to.

I think upthread she said 27th. Definitely not date order!

@hassletassle

Amazing *@Firefliess*! Do you mind me asking when you applied? 🤗

27th

But they both had passports already so possibly similar than for some

Yeah, there are some very straightforward ones that applied on the first day still not awarded though

And really the passport thing shouldn’t have made any difference beyond the initial requirement to go to a VAC. Once that was done it should have been just as simple to process as the international passport ones - just a tick in a different box.

And now I am cross all over again because of this, in an update email:

‘ Some applicants have been waiting nearly three weeks for their visa applications to be progressed or an outcome communicated, and we acknowledge that this is unacceptable’

That’s FOUR weeks, Home Office. Can’t you count up to four? No you can’t and I shouldn’t be surprised really should I?

They've published data on the number of visas applied for and issued. www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data/ukraine-family-scheme-and-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-homes-for-ukraine-visa-data

55k applied for under Homes for Ukraine and 25k issued, but only 3k made it over here so far, suggesting either that most of the visas issued were only issued very recently, or the Ukrainians are having some difficulties in getting over here.

I think the low number of people coming versus visas issued may also be related to families not being processed together. Lots of stories of children getting visas and parents not, and vice versa. In that situation you can't travel until you can all come together.

@LaurelGrove

I think the low number of people coming versus visas issued may also be related to families not being processed together. Lots of stories of children getting visas and parents not, and vice versa. In that situation you can't travel until you can all come together.

That's true. Our two got them within a few hours of each other today. Maybe just lucky though

That's really great news @Firefliess, thanks for sharing. I'm definitely seeing an upturn in the number of people posting on Facebook to say their visas have been granted. I'm taking comfort from that, as it does suggest they are making visible progress.

Was a bit annoyed at that generic email update sent by the gov today which says we have good news about your visa applications. Which then turns out to merely be that they're going to prioritise applications under the scheme. Erm, I thought you were already prioritising them. That's what BJ and his ilk have been telling us for weeks now and I know he wouldn't ever mislead us.

That may be something that has been improved. There were people who knew their applications had been sent to different centres to process at first but recently I heard of a family who got theirs 25 minutes apart, which does suggest one person working through.

@Firefliess there also seems to be a lot of visas "approved" (and people find this out via email, sometimes via MP) but then the permission to travel takes days to arrive!

I am the longest waiting person who posted on a thread in my local Ukraine Facebook group this afternoon where someone asked how long everyone had had to wait.
In despair and very worried about my guests.

[quote hassletassle]@Firefliess there also seems to be a lot of visas "approved" (and people find this out via email, sometimes via MP) but then the permission to travel takes days to arrive![/quote]
I do wonder if that could be part of the issue. Neither we nor the Ukrainians heard anything (except the routine updates that everyone got and contact from the council re DBSs and home checks) until they got their permission to travel letters. There could well be some further delay between "issuing" the visa and sending out the permission to travel letters. I
You could issue an FOI request to see how many permission to travel letters they've released to find out if this is happening.

Ah you mean the headline figure of visas ‘granted’ has nothing to do with how many people have actually received them?
That sounds really plausible.

Can I ask a question - for those who've had home visits completed, do they ask to see gas safety certificates for all gas appliances in the house, or is it just the boiler? Our boiler has an up to date gas service but there's a gas fire that hasn't had one for a few years. I've booked one in for it, but not until after the home visit date (our council, having been very slow at the start, has suddenly got its act together and wants to visit next week)

Sent you a pm, Firefliess.

Found my way back to this thread! (With slightly new username) I had trouble with my account as only the MN app on my phone remembered my password and not the website nor me, and I couldn't reset it because I'd set it up from a now defunct email account.... Could you resend your pm please @TheCountessofFitzdotterel? I might now be able to read it!

@Fireyflies I'm not sure if this helps but we have an oil boiler and he didn't even ask to see the certificate, just asked when the service was next to you and I said it was booked in for the 28th of April

Placemarking. We have found a lovely family to sponsor in Kyiv and going to start the process tomorrow.

I had a gas safety certificate courtesy of my lovely Ukrainian plumber/gas engineer who did it for free, and the people from the council didn't even check. They looked at the boiler but I don't know what that proves, apart from the fact I have one!

Good luck Tulipomania! Wishing you swift and trouble free visa approval.

Anyone got any news? We have made an IKEA child’s bed that has been sitting unmade in our garage for at least 10 years and we can’t remember why we bought it. Clearly this was why

Hi all, glad to have found this thread. We have a house that we usually rent out but the tenants have moved out and we have decided to let a Ukrainian guest live in it. However the tenants left it in a bit of a state and I wanted to do a few improvements to it anyway once they moved out, so I registered with the scheme but couldn’t commit to a match until I had an end date in sight for the work we have been doing to it.

I reckon we are about 3-4 weeks off so given that some peoples visas seem to be taking quite a long time I thought I should start looking at finding a match but I’m finding it really difficult because it feels really horrible choosing someone which essentially means rejecting everyone else.

I’ve joined a few of the Facebook groups helping people match and a lot advise messaging and maybe calling people to make sure you get on before you offer to sponsor someone. But again that’s so difficult. What if you just don’t gel with someone and then you have to say you can’t sponsor them when they are so desperate? I find it so sad when people are putting up photos of them and their lovely families and really trying to sell themselves.

We obviously won’t charge them rent, but I also feel a bit nervous about other things. What if they’re too traumatised to find work eventually and we end up having to support them for months/years. Now it’s closer to becoming a reality so many more questions are popping into my head and it is quite daunting.

Excellent idea. That will really help someone. Especially as most people can only offer a home to one or two people due to space.
Firstly I would say be careful with assuming it will take a while for the visas to come through- some new applications have taken as little as 3 days (to the disgruntlement of those of us who have been waiting a month and keep being assured they are being processed in date order).

Have you looked at some of the charities involved in matching, as well as the Facebook groups? Eg Reset and Sanctuary Foundation? They will probably have more information available which will help you feel more informed about it. (Personally I think all matching should have been done through charities in the first place, with extra vetting for those who met through a mutual friend - not just for the extra safeguarding but for the extra support from people who have experience looking after refugees).

No progress here @TheCountessofFitzdotterel , 23 days and counting.