UK govt offers to pay residents $620 a month to open homes to refugees

LONDON • Britain will pay people to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion as the government moves to deflect anger over its response to the refugee crisis.

The new scheme, called Homes for Ukraine, will let refugees from the war come to Britain even if they do not have family ties, the government said yesterday.

Britain will pay people £350 (S$620) a month if they can offer refugees a spare room or property for a minimum period of six months.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sought to portray Britain as helping lead the global response to the Russian invasion - which Moscow calls a "special operation" - but his government has faced criticism over delays in accepting refugees.

Lawmakers from all the main political parties have attacked the government's insistence that Ukrainians seek visas and take biometric tests before arriving, saying this prioritised bureaucracy over the welfare of those fleeing war.

Under the new scheme, members of the public, charities, businesses and community groups should be able to offer accommodation via a webpage by the end of next week, the government said.

"The UK stands behind Ukraine in their darkest hour and the British public understands the need to get as many people to safety as quickly as we can," Mr Michael Gove, the minister for housing, said in a statement.

"I urge people across the country to join the national effort and offer support to our Ukrainian friends."

Anyone offering a room or home will have to show that the accommodation meets standards and they may have to undergo criminal record checks. The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine could rise to more than four million, double the current estimates of about two million, the United Nation's refugee agency said last week.

REUTERS