Call for Registered Social Landlords to let tenants offer spare rooms for refugees

The horrific and devasting images of  injured, heavily pregnant women fleeing a completely destroyed children's and maternity hospital in Mariupol, represents an atrocity.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has so far caused the displacement of over 2M people. The British Government’s response to this refugee crisis has been begrudging, mean-spirited and shameful.

As the bombs rained down on Ukraine,  the Home Secretary  defended the continued need for Ukrainians to apply for visas before coming to the UK due to the "important security checks" that need to be done.

The UK has granted visas to only 300 Ukrainian refugees, with almost 20K waiting. Over 600 people were blocked from entering the UK after reaching Calais due to lack of paperwork, despite having transport to get them across the channel.

Meanwhile, Ireland and the rest of the U.K. has lifted all visa restrictions to allow people to be assessed in country, out of the line of fire. Poland has accepted nearly 1.5M refugees, Hungary 200K, Germany 20K and France over 10K.

U.K. asylum policy is of course adept at keeping people in danger. On March 10, Patel stated  that visas would be waived - in another five days on March 15, but Ukrainians would still need passports. The chances of getting a passport in a war zone, if you don't already have one, is nil.

Owing to growing public pressure, we expect more refugees to be allowed into the U.K.  from next week.

Because of the latest crisis, our ‘Rooms for Refugees’ network has registered almost 2,000 hosting offers in less than ten days. 
 

Together with our volunteer hosts and referral partners (caseworkers from refugee, homelessness, and aid organisations) we have for 20 years helped people to regularise their status, stabilise their lives and build positive futures within the stability of a host’s home.

These new hosts will almost certainly provide safe refuge to an individual or family displaced by the current crisis – providing them with a place of comfort during a harrowing time.

We have, however, received messages from some tenants that their landlords are not allowing tenants to take in refugees for short periods while lawyers or caseworkers help resolve their legal status.

We are living in a time of increasing emergency when helping each other is sometimes all that is left. Our request to all Registered Social Landlords is to raise the current refugee crisis with your Board and your Association or Co-operative’s position on allowing tenants who seek your permission to take someone in to their home if they feel they have room.

Such hostings could be the difference between an individual or family being housed in inadequate Home Office accommodation or having a safe and stable home during the most difficult and distressing time of their lives. 

(For more information, please email home@positiveactionh.org)