89,000 Britons throw open their homes to Ukrainian families

A Ukrainian family who escaped Vladimir Putin’s bombs could become the first to be rehoused in Britain after being offered a place at a six-bedroom mansion in Yorkshire.

Lillia and Vitalii Kucher, along with their daughters Victoria, 14, and Ilona, six, have sorted accommodation at Sabrina and Tony O’Brien’s home in Driffield near Hull.

They are looking to get to the UK in the next week after fleeing across the Ukraine border into Moldova when Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

It comes as Britain’s Homes For Ukraine scheme doubled overnight as tens of thousands more came forward to offer their support to those trying to escape the carnage in eastern Europe.

The government revealed this morning almost 90,000 people have now registered an interest in hosting a person or family from the war-torn country as part of the biggest resettlement scheme since the Second World War.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which launched the initiative yesterday, said the figure as of Tuesday morning was 88,712 – up from 44,000 yesterday.

But the actual number for those coming forward to help is likely much higher, with many posting their own adverts to host a family rather than using the government scheme.

Many took to social media and refugee groups to help instead, due to Homes For Ukraine needing Britons to name the Ukrainian they wish to sponsor.

Posts included a sprawling country house in a picturesque village in North Yorkshire while another showed a luxury caravan on an idyllic farm in the Devon countryside.

Meanwhile one man said he was ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees into his home to repay the British government after they gave sanctuary to his great-grandfather over a century ago during the Russian pogroms.

Mr and Mrs Kucher got in touch with Mr and Mrs O’Brien and their three daughters – Emily, 19, Maddie, 16, and Kitty, 11 – through EU4UA, which matches refugees with hosts independently of the government system.

But the British family registered with the Homes For Ukraine site last night so they could make the move official.

The Kutchers had earlier feared they would be trapped in Moldova without an income from their jobs at private schools.

The O’Briens meanwhile said they would host the family ‘for as long as they need’, with the Ukrainians hoping to remain with them for around a year to save disrupting their children’s education.

Mrs O’Brien told the Telegraph: ‘We are ex-Londoners and bought a six-bedroomed house in Driffield. We are lucky enough to have the space and only five of us in our house.

‘I can see Lillia is scared. Food is running out. Petrol is running low and it is three hours’ drive to the airport. All the other countries are helping and I want to do everything in my power to help them feel safe, loved and supported. It is our duty and besides, would we not want the same if it were us?

‘Their home, business, and livelihood have been destroyed, but not their future. We, with the help of others, will make sure of that.’

The Kutcher family fled their home in Mogilev-Podolsky on February 24 as bombs reigned down just 80 miles away.

They made it into Moldova and registered with EU4UA and was offered places across the world, with her choosing five families in Britain.

She said: ‘All of them answered and were ready to support my family and me. It was difficult to talk on the site, so Sabrina and I opened a Facebook link. It was easier for us to communicate, so we became very close. We had the same points of view.’

The much-anticipated Homes For Ukraine scheme kicked off on Monday as tens of thousands of people rushed to offer their support for those escaping the horrors in eastern Europe.

The government website was flooded with so many users it crashed last night but appeared to be working as normal this morning.

On the first day 44,000 people signed up to the initiative, but that figure skyrocketed to 88,712 as of Tuesday morning, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said.

But some opted to post their own adverts on social media or through refugee charities amid confusion at Homes For Ukraine needing the names of Ukrainians the applicant wants to host.

One group, called Accommodation, Help and Shelter For Ukraine been backed by more than 55,000 followers across Europe since it was set up, with thousands of Britons posting their homes on the site.

Among them is Ian Foxley and his wife, with them looking to welcome a family at their sprawling country mansion just outside York in northern England.

Mr Foxley, who is finishing off a PhD at York University, and his wife, who is a teacher, said they have two double bedrooms available.

He said: ‘We have a large country house in a small village 10 miles outside York in the UK with a good bus service into the city where there are also good work opportunities.

‘We have two double bedrooms available and the village has both a kindergarten and a primary school. Our children have grown up and live in London and overseas, so we can provide a safe refuge.

‘My wife is a teacher and I am just completing a PhD at the University of York. We also have two dogs, Brenna and Maya, who are very child friendly.’

Meanwhile Lillie Alexander, from the South Coast, also put the call out for those looking for a place to stay. She said: ‘My husband and I, both 30 years old, are offering a spare room in our house on the south coast of the UK.

‘We have a cat but no children. We have good bus links to local cities as well as shops and businesses within walking distance.

‘I am a doctor and my husband runs a restaurant. We have a room to offer to a young couple, mother and child or single woman via the new UK refugee pathway opening this week.’ 

Another looking to host is Sacha Pilkington and his girlfriend, who live on a picturesque farm in rural Devon in the south west of the country.

The former primary school teacher turned farmer and businessman was offering a static caravan and a job if their guests want one. He said: ‘We have a nice caravan on our small farm in South Devon.

‘We live in a static caravan ourselves so don’t have a house to offer yet but you’d have your own space, with heating, hot water, bathroom, cooking facilities and lots of space for children to run around.

‘We have older children and a baby. My girlfriend is a Secondary school English Teacher, I am an ex-Primary teacher and now have business working on campervans and we run the farm together with pigs and poultry and organic vegetable growing.

‘We may be able to offer you some work if you would like it but you’re not obliged. There are good local schools. We are rural but with a village nearby and beautiful quiet area.’

On the other side of the south coast, Malcolm Greenhill in St Leaonards on Sea, near Hastings, has two spare bedrooms available.

He said: ‘My wife and I would like to invite the family of a brave Ukrainian fighter to live with us. Since our sons left home we have two spare bedrooms and a private bathroom in a large comfortable house in a quiet location.

‘We have a secure garden where children can play safely. We have two small very friendly dogs. We are business owners so we can offer paid work if you have suitable skills or education.’ 

Meanwhile in Chorley in in the North West 32-year-old Gary McFarlane also listed a large room for a Ukrainian couple or individual.

He said: ‘I have a comfortable home and can offer a spare en-suite bedroom. I work in human resources and I’m familiar with UK Visas and Immigration. I am caring and compassionate.

‘I live on my own and have a small dog called Sam. I have had a lodger in the past – the girl in my profile photo who is now a very good friend – and this worked well.

‘I am a gay man. The room is suitable for a woman/man/couple. I can sponsor long-term and commit to the minimum six-month period under the scheme.’

And in the capital Simon Reeves registered his interest to house a refugee, writing they have a spare room up for grabs in Clapham in the south east of the city.

He added: ‘We are a gay male couple with dogs in Clapham, London with a spare room, and en suite bathroom. It’s a double bed, has a big TV and lovely views of London.

‘Seeking one person who is gay/ gay-friendly and dog loving. We’ll be happy to support financially until you’re on your feet.’

Meanwhile Charlie Rubin, 30, has been particularly moved by the crisis in Ukraine as the situation echoes what his relative went through in the early 1900’s.

In 1910, Wilhelm Dank, Charlie’s great grandfather on his father’s side, fled violent Russian pogroms and massacres in the Pale of Settlement.

At the time this was a vast area of the Russian Empire, covering large parts of Eastern Europe and including most of Ukraine, where marginalised Jews were forced to live.

After seeking refuge in the UK in his early twenties, the British government greeted Wilhelm with open arms, and he settled in Manchester.

He spoke no English when he first arrived, but attended night school to integrate himself into British society. Within ten years he became an established coat salesman and met Charlie’s great grandma Jinney Zelkovich.

Now Charlie and his girlfriend Constance Campbell, 25, want to offer the same opportunity to Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Russian invasion of their country.

The couple have just bought their first property in the capital, and have a spare room in the loft which they are keen to offer any Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK.

Charlie is the joint CEO of ethical cleaning brand Purdy & Figg and also plans to donate around 3000 bottles of award winning hand sanitiser to refugees arriving in Poland.

Charlie, from Shepherd’s Bush, said: ‘If it wasn’t for the British government who allowed my great grandfather the opportunity to build a life in the UK, I wouldn’t be here today.

‘Over a 100 years later I’m repaying a debt to them by taking in a family myself. I want to do something on behalf of Britain which was done for my great grandfather, and offer as much help as I can to families fleeing the conflict.

‘It’s our first home, and we have a room in the loft perfect for a family to stay in. There’s no fixed time limit we have in mind, we just wants to help as soon we can.’

Michael Gove yesterday confirmed ‘unlimited numbers’ will be allowed to live here for three years as he appealed to people to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.

The Housing Secretary announced the launch of the Homes for Ukraine scheme that will pay families £350-a-month to take in those fleeing Russian brutality for at least six months.

The website to register for the scheme went down immediately after it was launched with some people unable to complete the online form for up to an hour.

Mr Gove told the Commons anyone who had lived in the UK for at least six months would be able to take in refugees, with those arriving eligible to stay for up to three years.

Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. But under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK.

The government in recent days has face criticism for its handling of the escalating refugee crisis sweeping across Europe.

Labour’s Lisa Nandy said the new plan was a ‘DIY asylum scheme’ and there was criticism that sponsors would have to know the name of the refugee they wished to house before they arrived.

Mr Gove told MPs: ‘Because we want the scheme to be up and running as soon as possible, Homes for Ukraine will initially facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections.

‘We will rapidly expand the scheme in a phased way with charities, churches and community groups to ensure many more prospective sponsors can be matched with Ukrainians who need help, and we are of course working closely with the devolved administrations to make sure that their kind offers of help are also mobilised.’

He added: ‘The British people have already opened their hearts in so many ways, I’m hopeful that many will also be ready to open their homes and to help those fleeing persecution find peace, healing and the prospect of a brighter future.’

Almost three million people have fled Ukraine since Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion and civilians continue to find themselves caught up in the fighting.

Ms Nandy raised concerns over matching Ukrainian families to sponsors and claimed the Government was suggesting people should advertise on Instagram via a ‘DIY asylum scheme’.

She told the Commons: ‘On his tour of the TV studios, he suggested several times that people who are willing to sponsor a Ukrainian family need to come to the Government with the name of that family who will then rubber stamp it.

‘He can’t seriously be asking Ukrainian families who are fleeing Vladimir Putin, who have left their homes with nothing, to get on to Instagram and advertise themselves in the hope a British family might notice them. Is this genuinely the extent of this scheme?’

Critics also attacked a ‘bureaucratic hurdle’ that means that families wanting to get involved with Homes for Ukraine have to know who they are taking in by name before they arrive.

Hosts will also have to undergo criminal records checks first, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying a ‘basic level of security checks’ would apply. The Home Office has issued 4,000 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme.

According to data published on its website, 17,100 applications have been submitted and 10,600 appointments have been made at visa processing centres.

The Homes for Ukraine programme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks.

The public will be able to nominate a Ukrainian family to stay with them for at least six months. Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access services.

The exact details are not known, but Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be ‘intent on exploitation’ are prevented from ‘abusing’ the new scheme.

Britons offering accommodation to Ukrainian refugees will receive a ‘thank you’ payment of £350 per month. Local authority areas will be entitled to more than £10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK.

Have YOU got plans to house a Ukrainian? Email james.gant@mailonline.co.uk

How YOU can help refugees fleeing Putin’s bloody war: From finding someone to shelter, to the government support you can expect… vital Q&A on Britain’s Homes for Ukraine scheme

British householders have been urged to throw open their doors to Ukrainian refugees as the civilian death toll continues to rise in the conflict.

The UK Government has set out details of a sponsorship scheme allowing individuals and organisations to offer a home to refugees fleeing the fighting.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme as the Government scrambled to make it easier for people to come to the UK.

Almost three million people have fled since Vladimir Putin‘s Russian invasion and civilians have continued to find themselves caught up in the fighting this week.

There have been 1,663 civilian casualties since the invasion, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said, citing United Nations figures – although the true statistic may be far higher. So far, 88,000 people in Britain have signed up to take in a Ukrainian.

Here, MailOnline answers some of the key questions regarding the scheme:  

– What is the scheme?

The Homes for Ukraine programme is a sponsorship scheme allowing people and organisations in Britain to offer Ukrainians fleeing the war a home in the UK.

The scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety – even if they have no ties to the UK.

Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove said that initially the scheme will ‘facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections’ so it can be ‘up and running as soon as possible’.

However, he added that it will ‘rapidly’ expand by working with charities, faith and community groups.

Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come.

– How long can refugees stay with a family or individual?

Members of the public providing accommodation to Ukrainians must do so for at least six months.

Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years’ leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services.

– What security checks will be carried out?

Mr Gove said the Government wants to ‘minimise bureaucracy and make the process as straightforward as possible, while also doing everything we can to ensure the safety of all involved’.

Sponsors and all adults in their households will need to submit to security checks and possibly also safeguarding checks.

The suitability of the accommodation may also be assessed by their local council.

Ukrainians will be subject to ‘standard’ security checks, according to the website, with biometric checks made after they arrive in the UK to avoid delays.

Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be ‘intent on exploitation’ are prevented from ‘abusing’ the new scheme.

– How are children going to be protected? 

A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said the charity did not want to see ‘unnecessary barriers’ built into the process, but ‘it is vital child protection is built into every stage of the Government’s and local authorities’ response to this crisis’.

Paul Anticoni, chief executive of World Jewish Relief, said the protection of those who have had to leave their homes – many of whom are women and children – ‘has to be a priority for any government or agencies that are involved in accommodation’.

– Is there any compensation for hosting – and what can you use it for?

Those offering a place to stay will receive an optional tax-free monthly payment of £350 which will not affect benefit entitlements or council tax status.

The ‘thank you’ payment is limited to one payment per residential address, and can be spent or saved as you wish. Hosts should not charge any rent. 

Mr Gove has also said local authority areas will be entitled to more than £10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK.

‘Additional payments’ will be available to support school-age children who need to be accommodated within the education system, he said.

– Do sponsors provide anything other than accommodation?

Sponsors are not expected to provide meals or cover the costs of food and living expenses for their guests, unless they wish to do so philanthropically.

– Can sponsors help refugees find work and access services? 

The Government will provide information to sponsors so that they can point their guests to organisations who can help them access benefits, register with a GP and with school placements.

All refugees will be allowed to seek and take up employment, and there is nothing stopping sponsors helping them find a job. 

– Who can be a host?

Sponsors can be of any nationality and any immigration status as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months.

Anyone with a spare room, or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied and available for at least six months can volunteer to help.

– Who can be a guest?

The website says someone is eligible if they are a ‘Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.’

The scheme is open for adults and children within family units.

– How do you apply? 

If you have a named person who you wish to sponsor you should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours.

The visa application system will go live this Friday.  

– What if you don’t have a name to give? 

People wanting to be sponsors who do not know anyone personally fleeing the Ukraine can register their interest here: homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk.

The Government will work with charities, faith groups and universities to match potential hosts with people from Ukraine – so you can still get involved if you don’t know anyone from the country.

More detailed guidance for sponsors will become available in the coming days, according to the website.

Anyone registering will receive updates on the security checks, information on the status of the arrangement and the role of the local council in providing wider support.

– Can you host AND employ a refugee?

There is nothing in the Government’s FAQs on the scheme which say you cannot host and employ a refugee, so it would appear that you can – for example if you run a small business.

However, to be sure, MailOnline has contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities for clarity on this. 

– What rights will Ukrainian refugees have?

Refugees will be granted leave to remain in the UK for three years. They will be able to work and access benefits and public services – including healthcare and schooling.

– What rights will you have if there are problems?

A change in circumstances could mean that someone is then unable to continue housing someone for the full six months.

A Government source told the Daily Telegraph that the state would get involved if a refugee has to find other housing earlier than the six month period, and that this could then be taxpayer-funded.

– How many Ukrainians are expected to be helped through the scheme?

The Government is setting no limit, saying the UK will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and for whom there are sponsors.

Members of the public are being urged to come forward and help if they can.

In less than an hour, 1,500 people had already registered for the scheme, Mr Gove told MPs, adding that he hopes the first Ukrainians to receive support under the project will arrive within a week.

This morning, it was revealed that 88,000 people have signed up on the website.

– What has been the response?

Shadow communities secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour was relieved to hear Mr Gove would announce the sponsorship scheme after weeks of delay, adding: ‘A press release is not a plan and we are really deeply concerned about the lack of urgency.’

Ms Nandy insisted the visa application process could be simplified, telling Mr Gove: ‘We could keep essential checks but drop the excessive bureaucracy.’

Mr Gove, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Academy Award-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch are among those who have said they might apply to the scheme, while Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have indicated they will not.

The Government has faced widespread criticism for its response to the refugee crisis so far, with critics noting that unlike the UK all EU countries have waived visa requirements for Ukrainians in the short term.

The Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon told The Guardian the UK scheme was ‘effectively a managed migration route, which is not suitable to use to respond to a humanitarian crisis’.

‘This conflict doesn’t look like it’s going to end quickly. There needs to be a clear pathway to longer-term accommodations,’ he said.

There have been also concerns about the tight timeframe the Government has provided, with the NSPCC in its statement calling it an ‘ambitious turnaround’.

The charity said it was ‘essential that the Government works closely with local authorities, the fostering community, charities and other key local partners to ensure this sponsorship scheme is ultimately safe; has appropriate levels of support for traumatised Ukrainian children who have fled bloodshed, and on-going assistance available for their sponsors’.