LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – According to what Michael Gove told Sky News, Ukrainian refugees, tens and thousands in number, might enter the UK, with each local council receiving more than £10,000 per individual.
The UK has already processed “more than 3,000” visas for Ukrainians escaping the war with Russia, according to the housing and levelling up secretary, who is in charge of the Ukrainian refugee scheme.
Initially, he told Sophy Ridge on Sunday that the UK had approved 30,000 visas, but he corrected the numbers after being questioned saying that they were just 1,035 on Thursday. “Tens of thousands,” Mr Gove responded when asked about the number of refugees that could come to the UK through the plan.
He continued, local authorities would be able to get little over £10,000 for each individual that comes.
Then there would be additional payments for school-aged kids who need to be accommodated within the educational system.
Complete NHS care, including mental health, would be made available to everyone.
The minister also shared further information about the idea for people in the UK to offer up spare rooms for a period of at least six months to Ukrainian refugees. The government will pay £350 a month to people who take part in the “Homes for Ukraine” scheme.
People who wish to offer up their homes or extra rooms can register their interest from Monday, according to Mr Gove. “Matching will begin on Friday,” he explained.
He expects the first people to come here under the scheme in a week. He would not, however, say if he would be willing to offer a place in his own home.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, hailed the refugee scheme but questioned how it would function.
Those preparations just needed to be in place now, he told Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
He added that he would feel more at ease if there was a firm plan in place – local government officials claim they haven’t been consulted yet.
They were present and ready to help; however, housing providers must be involved. He’d like to see a solid plan in action.
He continued, what he had witnessed last summer [with Afghan refugees] was that language specialists were needed along with traumatised family experts, and professionals who could assist them contact relatives in the nation they’d just fled.
People who can promptly deal with schooling issues were needed. All he would like was the assurance that there was a plan in place.
