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?

@Cyw2018

We will gain people to work in the fields, factories and hospitality industry as well as presumably a number of highly skilled and experienced professionals across a range of industries, I'm sure, if we let them, they will settle in quickly and be an asset to the country and maybe some of the professionals (particualrly in healthcare) will be persuaded to stay permenently.

This.

Are British mothers leaving their support networks, friends, families and bringing a bag of belongings? Are British mothers worrying about their fathers sons and husbands conscripted (albeit mainly willingly) into a war, are British mothers trying to explain to their small children why all the above has happened, or try and explain the horrors they have seen?
That does not prevent them from working though. All enquiries I have seen so far were from women who are very eager to work.

3 weeks ago these families were like you and me, working, socialising, doing the school run, walking the dog and anything else we do on a daily basis. It would be any of us if our country was attacked.

Some of them will be from poor families where this is a real opportunity, others will be ordinary middle class families with professional careers and money in the bank. What they have is a need to be safe. I imagine that some will have money they will be able to bring over and will be off finding their own places once they've got settled, others may well work for international companies who will be making it their business to ensure that they can work from wherever they settle and will have a secure income. Others will have good english and good experience and will quickly find work in all kind of industries with no need to rely on benefits. Others may need more of our support but that's ok, we're a country of immigrants who come over, work hard and build our lives here. Think a bit outside the box, they're not all coming as ecomomic migrants to pick fruit and cause trouble.

[quote Clarabe1]@forinborin you can’t compare a Romanian crime gang to a Ukrainian - you can’t compare a Romanian gang master to an average Romanian. They are just a minority of scum on there own. I agree with you about Ukrainian grannies- I wouldn’t take one on. Scary [/quote]
Ah sorry. I quoted your post but it was addressed at a previous poster who was concerned that Ukrainian mums and children will occupy some area and turn it into a no-go zone.

I think you are worrying unnecessarily OP. In the early 2000s our village used a converted children's centre to house 60 refugees from the Balkans conflict. They quickly fitted in and as soon as the war was resolved they went home (except for one man who married a local girl and opened a business).
Same with the Cantonese, they have arrived in my area in large numbers and there aren't enough high end houses to fill the demand here. They are absolutely trying to fit in, despite being much wealthier than the locals and they definitely aren't contributing to increased crime.

@Clarabe1 It is not "British" police where I am talking about. We have our own police here.
If you are talking about a different place altogether it just shows how bad the problem is

I imagine that some will have money they will be able to bring over and will be off finding their own places once they've got settled, others may well work for international companies who will be making it their business to ensure that they can work from wherever they settle and will have a secure income.
You know what really disappoints me today? There are indeed international companies who offer now an internal move for their Ukrainian displaced staff to another European office, but keep them on their Ukrainian salary. Heard two stories like that from friends already.

I think in the UK it is largely due to the social structure / tradition.
Isn't it due to absurdly expensive childcare?

I don't know a single lone mother in Ukraine who doesn't work.
How much does their childcare cost?

And why do you think that women who come here will be lone parents?
Because fathers will have been conscripted?

@forinborin that's really disappointing to hear. I've seen lots on linked in about companies ensuring their ukrainan staff are welcomed to their international offices, to keep them on their Ukrainian salary, if it's different to their peers here is abhorent

Op, in these instances, I think you have to consider how you would feel if you were the refugee.

We’re all humans. When we need each other, we should help.

@RobotValkyrie

I think in the UK it is largely due to the social structure / tradition. Isn't it due to absurdly expensive childcare?

I don't know a single lone mother in Ukraine who doesn't work.
How much does their childcare cost?

And why do you think that women who come here will be lone parents?
Because fathers will have been conscripted?

The childcare cost varies. In Kyiv, a nanny is around 500-600 euros per month, a nursery around 300 maybe. In the UK, I think most of the childcare cost is paid back for those on low/average incomes.

There has been no forced conscription in Ukraine so far. Yes, many would have joined voluntarily, but many are working and still earning money, and will support their families.

@SafferUpNorth

What I'm worried about is the safety and wellbeing of traumatised, vulnerable women and children in British homes. Will those offering a spare room be vetted? What's stopping some sickos taking advantage of the scheme? Could become a modern slavery scenario.

This was my concern too.

Also, what will the government do to help assimilation into British society? Granted, the Ukrainians have a fantastic standard of language skills - certainly far better than our grasp of Ukrainian - how will those families manage?

What will the government be providing insofar as support for mental health for the families that have seen their lives/husbands/families decimated in front of their eyes?

Or do the government expect those that are jumping at the thought of £350 a month to fill these voids because I sincerely think they are overestimating what people will be willing or more to the point, able, to do?

Its brilliant that so many have come forward to offer rooms in their homes but has it been thought through fully? The Ukrainian population that comes here will need every bit of assistance that we can afford to give to them and not have to worry about being a burden to people who didn't think it through and what the impact on them is likely to be.

[quote Avocadobacardi]@forinborin that's really disappointing to hear. I've seen lots on linked in about companies ensuring their ukrainan staff are welcomed to their international offices, to keep them on their Ukrainian salary, if it's different to their peers here is abhorent[/quote]
I only hope it is temporary and they are doing it as they expect that people will return back to their old jobs and workplaces very soon.

I must say, it looks more and more unlikely now.

@MrsSkylerWhite

Yes, YABU.

I don’t have latest figure but tens of thousands (I think hundreds of thousands? someone will know) of people from Hong Kong have made their homes in the UK in recent months.
Has that had any effect on your life? It hasn’t mine. I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t come across an interesting article on Bloomberg.
Why will people from Ukraine make so much more of a difference?

It's created a housing bubble and school crisis in some areas. That I know of. Presumably GP services are also affected.

Not that I blame them. But I'm sure the same will happen if refugees from Ukraine go predominantly to one area. Its a legitimate concern. We have to plan now how to make more school places.

@Shitfuckcommaetc

I think the real problems will be the lack of school places for children who are coming over, all schools near us are already oversubscribed. If they need medical appointments... Same problem

This. Locally many of the primary schools have been over-subscribed for a number of years now and there appears to be no willingness to increase provision to match demand. Same with GP services where waits for non-urgent appointments are 3-4 weeks. The housing shortage means hundreds of thousands of families are in temporary accommodation - which is almost always far below reasonable standards.

However what I would say is that it is entirely right that we take in refugees. We just need to do more about the issues that then arise.

Hi all,
Thanks to those who reported - could we try to keep the thread a bit more on track from now on?

YABU, for goodness sake

YANBU, it isn't either black or white, you can be supportive on one hand while recognising potential concerns on the other.

@forinborin - i assumed they were lone parents because the men are not allowed to leave ukraine.

I dont think that its a cultural thing that lone parents in britain dont want to work full time, i think its a cost and availability of childcare thing in many cases. So i think the women from ukraine will hit the exact same hurdles resident uk women hit but without the potential of relatives to help with childcare.

That does not prevent them from working though. All enquiries I have seen so far were from women who are very eager to work.

I am sure they are but the reality of wanting to work and being able to with small children isn't the same

@HopeMumsnet

Hi all, Thanks to those who reported - could we try to keep the thread a bit more on track from now on?

Good luck with that.

@Normandy144

I'm not worried. We said goodbye to lots of valuable workers thanks to Brexit so this will help to plug that gap.

People living and working here from the EU were not asked to leave. How did we say goodbye to workers?

@TyrannosaurusRegina

YANBU, it isn't either black or white, you can be supportive on one hand while recognising potential concerns on the other.

Agree. We can't just pretend that there are no consequences, we need to identify the issues and then plan how to overcome/mitigate these issues.

@Cyw2018

We will gain people to work in the fields, factories and hospitality industry as well as presumably a number of highly skilled and experienced professionals across a range of industries, I'm sure, if we let them, they will settle in quickly and be an asset to the country and maybe some of the professionals (particualrly in healthcare) will be persuaded to stay permenently.

I'm curious whether, in a hypothetical parallel universe, if this was a bunch of Canadians fleeing an invasion from the U.S., your first thought would also be that Canadians would be coming to work in "fields, factories and hospitality industry"?

I think there are plenty of unvaccinated here. A few thousand with a third unvaccinated wont matter much!

Councils will be given an extra £10,000 a month to help with services (or top up local authority pension schemes if not checked up on) so that extra money will help the relevant areas.

These people are fleeing a war so we need to help.