In UK, nearly 50,000 Ukrainian refugees face risk of being homeless next year as war rages

As the ongoing brutal war continues unabated in Eastern Europe, at least 50,000 Ukrainian refugees in the United Kingdom face the risk of becoming homeless next year. According to reports, the UK government has been warned of the impending crisis but has yet to take steps to fend off the issue. Fears are also mounting that the UK government's "Homes for Ukraine" initiative will fall apart next month when refugees complete their six months of stay, with no alternate housing solution in place, The Guardian reported. 

Although outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson has presented the UK's response to Russia's invasion as a moral victory, a number of organisations have warned that his administration's primary response to the refugee crisis brought on by the fighting could result in a terrible spike in homelessness. According to the UK government, as many as 83,900 refugees have been registered under the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme since it was launched in March this year. It further stated that refugees were connected with sponsors who promised to host them for six months in lieu of £350 ($411) per month. 

1,335 Ukrainian households registered as homeless: UK govt

According to the UK government's statistics, at least 1,335 Ukrainian households, including 945 families with children, have registered as homeless since the fighting started in February. However, the number is set to surge next month as research by children’s charity Barnardo’s, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats claim that around 21,000 Ukrainians could be homeless by the upcoming winter.

The research further claimed that the number would rise to around 50,000 by mid-2023. "There is a significant risk that. Many Ukrainian families may need to present as homeless because of a lack of sponsors or other options,” stated James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, The Guardian reported. In the data shared by the United Nations organisation, a total of six million Ukrainian refugees are recorded across Europe since the beginning of the Russian aggression. 

3.7 million Ukrainian refugees applied for temporary protection status: UNHCR

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 3.7 million Ukrainian refugees have applied for temporary protection status in the European Union (EU) since the onset of the war in late February. In the event of a major influx, temporary protection is a special measure used to offer immediate and short-term protection to displaced people from non-EU nations who are unable to return to their country of origin.

Image: AP