to be concerned about Ukranian refugees entering the country in large numbers?

[MaMaLa321]

I think that we have done the right thing, as a country, to allow Ukranian refugees to enter the UK. But does anyone else have concerns about how this will pan out?
For a start, we've spent 2 years in Lockdown, but the vaccination rate for Ukranians (for double vaccination) is only 34%.
What's the effect on our Social Services going to be?
FWIW, we have applied to house a refugee. It's just that I'm worried about the knock-on effects.
Also, will many Ukranians want to come here?

I see it didn't take long for Ukrainian refugees to become the new Polish plumbers. Feels like 2016 all over again...

Who has been put in charge of safeguarding the children? Is it being handled by SS/Health or education's budgets?
Why do you need to safeguard the children if they have their mothers with them, who were capable enough to bring them through the warzone to safety?

@miltonj

I couldn't care less about their rate of vaccination. I find it baffling that people are still going on about vaccine politics when we're talking about a humanitarian crisis. There are more important things.

I'm very pro vaccination but I agree.

so, anyone who raises a concern is immediately a racist? Good old AIBU at it's best.

Not worried at all
We have a skills/workers shortage

Plenty of school places and GP appointments near me. Lots of work as well. No everywhere is like London and the South East!

Who has been put in charge of safeguarding the children? Is it being handled by SS/Health or education's budgets?

There will, unfortunately, always be children who slip through the net, but I'm pretty sure that on average kids will be safer in family homes in the UK than in either a refugee camp or a war zone.

This is not a situation that can be delayed, so we will all have to to the best we can now.

How do you come to that conclusion? Most refugees will be women with children ,the infirm and elderly. Those that are valuable workers are on the whole defending their country. Those that are coming are more likely to need schooling and medical support. That's not to say I don't welcome them I do, but the government needs to put in support for the NHS and schooling especially.

@ThisIsGroundControl what on earth are you trying to say here?
That women with children can't be "valuable workers"
I really hope I've misinterpreted what point your trying to make.

Vaccination status doesn’t concern me at all. If people are unvaccinated here or elsewhere and it has impact it’s not contained

I’m heartened to see how many have applied here as I thought people would

The cost is quite high, after pandemic costs, but worth it

Do other countries do financial aid direct to people? Out of interest

We would hardly choose to take in thousands of distressed and traumatised people for no reason but these people are displaced by war. There simply is no choice is there? Do you have any other options? Leave Poland to deal with millions of refugees alone?

No I am not concerned at all. Most Ukrainians will stay close to the border. A number of thousands will come to the UK. When the war stops, which I hope is very soon, most will promptly return. From experience in might part of the world Ukrainians who already come to the UK are generally bright and work hard. Those that chose to stay I am confident will be net contributors to the UK economy and will contribute well to the communities they live in. Any temporary pressures on schools or SS can be alleviated with a little planning.

@purpleboy

How do you come to that conclusion? Most refugees will be women with children ,the infirm and elderly. Those that are valuable workers are on the whole defending their country. Those that are coming are more likely to need schooling and medical support. That's not to say I don't welcome them I do, but the government needs to put in support for the NHS and schooling especially.

@ThisIsGroundControl what on earth are you trying to say here?
That women with children can't be "valuable workers"
I really hope I've misinterpreted what point your trying to make.

Yes and no. I'm saying that women who have fled a war zone with children to another country in seek of refuge can not been seen as a cheap labour stop gap to make up for the exodus cased by Brexit, nor can they been seen as 'valuable workers' to be used in our society. Nor will they have the family and friend links that allow single parents to work. In the short term they will need a lot of support, the government needs to realise this.

It really maddens me that when people describe the country in a state and public services on their knees the first thing they think about is how refugees running from war would make it worse, not how to hold those responsible to account or actually focusing on making those services better so that we as a rich country can behave in a decent, humanistic way rather than jealously guarding our resources that are only limited because we keep them that way.

I wondered how long it would take....these people are having their country and their homes annihiliated and you're clutching your pearls already

I’m sitting in bed with Covid after three vaccines, so not exactly bothered about the vaccination status of refugees (and am very pro vax), they’ll soon get their doses.

I think it’s important that we and the rest of Europe do our bit, no matter what. What’s the alternative?

If 100,000 Ukranian children come here needing school places that will average around 4 children per school. That's not even 1 in each year group. Let's keep this in perspective.

We are expecting 200,000 to 300,000 migrants from Hong Kong but nobody is worrying about that.

The Ukrainians will be from all walks of life so may well fill the skills shortages that we have here.

Now we just need to think about how hostile we are to refugees from other parts of the world who are no less in need.

Of course the concerns you raise are issues which will need to be addressed, but not at the moment. Right now the most pressing concern is how to help these people. I'm sure we'll figure it out, we always do.

Not sure why you've applied to host if that's your opinion to be honest.

Jesus christ. The snide remarks on this thread. OP asks some reasonable questions and gets called a self-serving bigot even though she's offered to do what I'm willing to bet most MNers won't. Interesting too that any British person refusing vaccines gets piled on as an irrational conspiracy theorist, but someone worrying about vaccine levels in refugees is apparently completely unreasonable. Go figure.

@ThePlantsitter

It really maddens me that when people describe the country in a state and public services on their knees the first thing they think about is how refugees running from war would make it worse, not how to hold those responsible to account or actually focusing on making those services better so that we as a rich country can behave in a decent, humanistic way rather than jealously guarding our resources that are only limited because we keep them that way.

Exactly

More worried about the vetting system tbh and I really think you should withdraw your application. If this is your thinking now then you are not the right type of support they need to navigate through this trauma.

@MaMaLa321

so, anyone who raises a concern is immediately a racist? Good old AIBU at it's best.

Well, if the cap fits.