LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The first minister of Scotland and her Welsh counterpart have urged that both governments serve as “super sponsors” for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.
Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon have written to the UK to express their willingness to contribute to the government’s community sponsorship initiative. Wales and Scotland, on the other hand, have promised to go above and beyond to help the refugees by acting as super sponsors.
It is expected that this will make it easier for Ukrainians to travel between the two countries. The plan would be to place them in temporary housing right away, then work with local partners to find them longer-term housing, including the host individuals, and provide them with safety and resources.
Households in the United Kingdom will be paid £350 a month to welcome people fleeing the Ukraine conflict into their homes.
‘There will be no cap on the number of refugees.’
Mr Drakeford and Ms Sturgeon emphasised in a joint letter to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove that the government needed to provide more information on how the initiative will work.
The letter clarifies that Wales and Scotland will not place a limit on the number of refugees they will accept.
The government of Scotland stated that it would welcome “at least” a considerable proportion of the total number who arrived in the United Kingdom.
The letter further states that all arriving refugees must have access to public funds, including welfare payments, and that they are excluded from the Habitual Residence Test in order to do so.
The first ministers also need immediate clarity on financial mechanisms to support local government, and they have proposed a “per head” funding model to support relocation and integration costs, similar to the Afghan and Syrian schemes.
Finally, the letter requests that Ukrainian nationals be exempt from all visa restrictions.
Nicola Sturgeon said that she wanted Scotland to do everything possible to help those Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. So far, the UK’s reaction has been mired in red tape and bureaucracy, when what is required is humanity and immediate refuge for as many people as possible.
The intended community sponsorship scheme has yet to be fully detailed. If the government of the UK refuses to suspend visa restrictions, it is critical that this scheme runs smoothly and efficiently, allowing people to enter the UK as soon as feasible.
However, she added that she was concerned that requiring people to be paired with an individual sponsor before being given entrance to the UK will make the process sluggish and inefficient.
She stated that super sponsorship would enable significant numbers of people to quickly arrive in their individual countries, and that she would be able to welcome Ukrainians to Scotland as soon as possible.
However, refugee advocacy groups believe the real issue is visa limitations, which prevent Ukrainians from entering the nation in the first place.
