Is my friend being unfair for wanting her Ukrainian guests to leave

[Cucucucu]

I hope I can give as much info as possible .
My friend had 2 sets of Ukrainian guests in her home , the first ones where 2 girls early 20s friends , they left after 4 months having found a 3 rd friend to rent an apartment, had jobs and studied and no issues at all .
She then decided to host a mum and daughter , but turns out it was a mother , daughter and son . Mum in her 30s , daughter 12, son 15 . She had told them from the start it was a short stay of 6 months as they are staying in a apartment attached to her home that she normally rents as a holiday home in the summer . The 6 months have come and gone and they refuse to go .
None of them is working or going to school , oldest has since turned 16 . They claim universal credit and she found out PIP they claim pip ( found out as the mum wanted to install a electric car charger as she is expecting a motability vehicle ) .
The mum and son smoke , she has asked them multiple times to not smoke inside . Twice she left the girl and son alone for days as she went back to Ukraine , first for dental implants , second for skin treatment ( she is unsure of what it was ) . They all went back to see the grandparents this week .
Unknown to her they adopted a kitten so when they went they asked her to feed the cat . She called me last night distressed , she went in the apartment and it’s a mess , the kitten peed everywhere , it stinks of cat pee , they clearly smoked in the house . They haven’t cleaned for ages and there are 3 kitchen cupboard doors broken , toilet seat broken , what looks like punches on the walls .
She is beyond stressed , this apartment was fully redone 20 months ago , new plaster , bathroom and kitchen .
She wants them out now , but last time she told them to leave the mum and son kept saying things as “ what will your neighbors think , throwing out refugees on the street “.
We are in a small Scottish village , everyone welcomed refugees with open arms so she is scared people will think she being unfair . I’ve told her nobody will think that .
My friend is a widow with 2 kids , that apartment renting in the summer in income to help her pay her bills , she probably lost all income for this summer as even if they leave it will need go be fixed .
Is she being unfair for wanting them out ?

Exactly why I would never sign up to such a scheme. Some are well off, ungrateful and using the system to their advantage. They sound like examples with awful entitled behaviour thrown in the mix

Not sure if they have the same rights as regular tenants or not but if they are homeless then it’s the councils job to sort them out. Talk to contacts there about ending the scheme and get them out asap.

Wow. I work with Ukrainian refugees. They aren't rude. They speak directly (in a new learned language English!).

Most foreign languages are much more direct than English and when it's translated can seem rude to Brits

Of course they go to see relatives , most don't have their husbands and they travel to visit them. Maybe a little understanding would go a long way

I would bag up all of their stuff and boot them out. They have no respect for your friend and there is no excuse for their behaviour.

Maddy that's all very nice, but when people take the piss and trash your home / property they are utter bastards no matter where they come from.
I wouldn't be so bloody understanding but then I generally dislike the human species anyway.

Take the word Ukrainian out of your title and what answer would you give?

Exactly. If the had been about an Elderly, African, Gay or Traveller family the OP would have been called out. It’s also irrelevant.

It really is relevant, @Riverlee, @Lamelie.

No other group is in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine government scheme. It offers benefits and provisions that no other displaced people have here. So it is very relevant to the OP and how to deal with the situation that has arisen.

Suggest your friend contacts a local councillor asap and gets them onside.
she should photograph ALL the damage, every little thing.
Rehome the kitten asap.
Pack up their belongings, get locks changed.
She should get advice from a solicitor re Scottish law and their rights, if any, to stay.
There is no excuse for trashing a person’s property.

Does she have any legal advice on her house insurance? She could use that for some free advice on how to get rid of them legally?

They haven't shown her any respect, so I don't think she needs to show them any.

The sad thing is, she will think twice about helping somebody in future because of their behaviour.

So since the Ukrainian hosting visas began, your friend has successfully hosted two refugees, and the subsequent family that moved in have successfully claimed PIP and are now expecting delivery of a Motability car?

Nope. Not in that timeframe.

Your friend seems to be heavily embroidering.

This is relatively easy report them for criminal damage. Change the locks.
email them to say they will be allowed to collect their things at the following times or dates but they have broken all conditions such as having a pet which has urinated everywhere. Price up cleaner, plaster and repair of damage and bill them.

they will soon go elsewhere

I just want to give a small update as I’m here with her now . I was just waiting for hubby to get home to leave the kids . It’s so much worse than she told me . The mum hasn’t replied but the 16 year old has replied a lot of abuse and used the term “ you will regret it when I’m back there “ .
She has agreed to at least contact the local police, we are waiting for someone to call or come around , she called the council but they were not much help .
There is more stuff that she hasn’t told me before today . Drug use , threatening behaviour etc
So I’m not slow feeding , this anexe where they live , has 2 entrances one that is linked to my friends through a boot room / utility and a garden access , so it’s not considered a separate home . It’s relevant as the council tried to actually fob her off by saying she needed to give them 2 months .
The anexe is not locked ( they left it this way ) so my friend did not have technically to ask permission as it’s part of her home . I had a quick look , it stinks of both cigarettes, cat pee , uncleanliness and a clear smell of cannabis . She has since told me the son openly smokes it .
I think between me and another friend we have convinced her to pack their things and change the locks , we are not touching anything without police guidance so waiting for that .
They are not returning for a few days it seems so I hope she can deal with it in the meanwhile .
thank you all for the helpful advice I’ve read it all to her .

She offered a place for 6 months, that time has finished so that’s that.

Maybe the community whose opinion she is so afraid of could help her set her apartment back to rights as their contribution to the cause they feel strongly about!

A list of places for them. Do you think anyone would like to have these disrespectful freeloaders?

She should phone the council and tell them she needs them gone by X date and then stick to it. They have not treated her property or her with respect. They imposed an extra person without discussion. They took in a pet without asking her. She's quite within her rights to chuck them out.

For contrast we have 3 Ukrainian guests - they clean up after themselves better than I do, change their beds, take turns hoovering and cleaning bathroom, help with the dog, occasionally feed the DCs or us if we're around when they're cooking, one of them loves gardening and our garden honestly has never looked so beautiful. The 2 adults (grandmother and mother) work and the 15 year old goes to school and is working so hard to keep up. They're a pleasure to have about (which is lucky as they've been here 14 months now) We have the odd cultural differences but we've got used to each others ways of living and get on well.

No one should have to put up with disrespect. Being refugees does not give them free rein to trash the place

So sorry and hope the police can help. Show them the property and the threats

She's absolutely not unreasonable to get them out as quickly as possible. Your friend needs to get advice to ensure she does it properly so it doesn't come back on her in any way. As pp's have said she needs to document and photograph everything.

Oh your poor friend. I'd be showing the police the threats

I agree they are terrible lodgers. And they have behaved dreadfully But to say that "Ukrainians" are rude and entitled is ridiculous and frankly racist.

Holy shit that sounds so scary. She definately needs services input and not tackle this on her own

Excuse me ? Her first guests stayed 4 months they are still in the U.K. but moved closer to uni with another girl . This family was already in the U.K. but the family house were were going to go ended up changing their minds . They have been at hers for 8 almost 9 months and have successfully claimed UC and pip , she is unsure for who , if the mum or the kids .
I can’t understand what’s the doubt .

While you are there take photographs and video.

Excuse me ? Her first guests stayed 4 months they are still in the U.K. but moved closer to uni with another girl . This family was already in the U.K. but the family house were were going to go ended up changing their minds . They have been at hers for 8 almost 9 months and have successfully claimed UC and pip , she is unsure for who , if the mum or the kids
I can’t understand what’s the doubt .

Universal Credit is quite a quick claims process, I think. It has to be. It's for living expenses.

PIP takes a long time. Motability a bit longer again. It would be freakishly fast to have a Motability order in within 9 months of arriving in the country.

People do ramp up the details when they are upset or wanting make an impression, but that timescale strains credulity.

Not to mention world wide delays in car manufacturing. Have you ordered a new car recently?

This sounds a very distressing situation and as others have said it's about some people being nasty, grasping and lazy and not about where they are from other than the process of how they got here and how they can be evicted. Taking photos is a great idea, as is contacting the local authority as it they who are (as far as I am aware) who have been running the Homes of Ukraine scheme, I know that this is how it was organised where I live. I think you have been amazing hosting people, I looked into it but my home is very small so did not go ahead. The fact that you had such a positive first experience shows that it really is about how indiduals behave and the sort of people they are. This lot sound grim

Wow. Now is the ideal time to get rid of them, while they are away.

Locks all changed, everything boxed up and a final text to explain that the police have now been involved and someone will be living in the property so stay away, unless they want to be arrested for criminal damage, drugs offences and threatening behaviour.

Drop their belongings at the council office an hour ahead of whatever time you give them, so you don't have to see them.

What kind of refugee can return to their home country periodically for cosmetic procedures?

Not a Syrian or Afghani one. People celebrate in the media when they drown.

Exactly.