New briefing covers history of the schemes and the changes announced by the Conservative government earlier this year
The House of Commons Library has published an updated version of its helpful research briefing on the UK's visa schemes for Ukrainian nationals following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
You can read a full copy of the briefing online below or you can download the original 25-page PDF file here.
According to the Home Office, a total of 262,700 visas had been issued to people under the Ukraine scheme as of 26 August 2024. A total of 212,400 Ukrainians had arrived in the UK under the scheme as of 19 August 2024.
As the House of Commons Library notes, an estimated 160,000 Ukrainian nationals were living in the UK as of July 2024, which is lower than the total arrivals under the Ukraine scheme as some people have since returned to Ukraine.
The briefing also covers the changes to the Ukraine schemes that were announced by the Conservative government in February of this year. The schemes were rationalised to provide one single out-of-country route under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme for all Ukrainians to apply to when seeking to come to the UK. In addition, a new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) route was announced to enable Ukrainians to apply for a further 18 months' permission to stay in the UK on expiry of their current visa.
The House of Commons Library explains that permanent residence in the UK is not allowed under the Ukraine schemes. In line with the wishes of the Ukrainian authorities, the Conservative government said Ukraine will be safe to go back to in the future and the visas are therefore temporary.
According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, most Ukrainians said they do want to stay in the UK long term. An April 2024 survey found that 68% of respondents said they intended to continue living in the UK even after it was safe to return to Ukraine.
A full copy of the House of Commons Library briefing follows below:
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Special visa schemes for Ukrainians
Research Briefing
By CJ McKinney, Melanie Gower, Joe Tyler-Todd
2 September 2024
Summary
1 Background
2 The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
3 Visas no longer available to new applicants
4 Extensions and permanent residence
5 Lessons for the future
commonslibrary.parliament.uk
Number 9473
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Contents
Summary
1 Background
1.1 Initial UK response
1.2 Bespoke visa routes announced
2 The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
2.1 Homes for Ukraine visa rules
2.2 Evolution of the scheme
3 Visas no longer available to new applicants
3.1 The Ukraine Family Scheme
3.2 The Ukraine Extension Scheme
4 Extensions and permanent residence
4.1 The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
4.2 Prospects for permanent residence
4.3 Approach in the EU
5 Lessons for the future
5.1 Speed of initial response
5.2 Long-term accommodation and homelessness
5.3 Calls for similar schemes for other countries
The UK's response to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 included special visa schemes for Ukrainians. Around 212,000 people have come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme or the (now closed) Ukraine Family Scheme, the majority in 2022.
Source: Home Office, Immigration system statistics quarterly, year ending June 2024, tables UVS_02 and UVS_03
Some have since returned to Ukraine, so the total number of Ukrainians living in the UK is lower: an estimated 160,000 as of July 2024. Those here under the Ukraine schemes have the right to work, claim benefits and use the NHS. Visas mostly last three years, and from early 2025 can be extended for another 18 months, but there is currently no pathway to permanent residence.
The main Homes for Ukraine scheme involves Ukrainians living with host families
In the days following the Russian assault, amid widespread public and political pressure, the Johnson Government announced a major relaxation of immigration rules for Ukrainians and their families. This included a Ukraine Family Scheme allowing British citizens and permanent residents to sponsor a wide range of relatives for visas.
The biggest scheme, Homes for Ukraine, allows Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family to live in the UK temporarily if a sponsor offers suitable accommodation. The scheme is uncapped and remains open for applications.
The Sunak government significantly tightened the schemes in 2024
In February 2024, the government closed the Family Scheme to new applicants. It also tightened the eligibility to become a Homes for Ukraine sponsor, from anyone with permission to live in the UK for six months to only British citizens and permanent residents. This means that in most cases it is no longer possible for Ukrainians in the UK without permanent residence to sponsor relatives to join them.
New Homes for Ukraine visas are also being issued for 18 months rather than three years. The Home Office said this would make the UK's offer more like the EU Temporary Protection Directive.
Temporary visa extensions will be allowed from early 2025, but not permanent residence
At time of writing, Ukraine visas cannot be extended. But the Sunak government also announced that Ukraine visa holders will be able to extend them by 18 months from early 2025.
Permanent residence (indefinite leave to remain) is not allowed. This makes the schemes different from standard visas or grant of refugee status, which do allow permanent residence after five years. The Conservative government said Ukraine will be safe to go back to and the visas are therefore temporary, in line with the wishes of the Ukrainian authorities. It also noted that the EU is not offering permanent settlement.
Most Ukrainians in the UK do want to stay long-term, even if their home country were safe to return to.
Despite challenges, the Ukraine schemes are seen as a possible model for other conflicts
The visa schemes have been generally considered an effective response but there are concerns about housing as Homes for Ukraine placements end. The British Red Cross says "while the Ukraine response successfully delivered safety at scale, some new arrivals have experienced challenges with unsuitable accommodation, precarious housing and homelessness".
Some charities and politicians have called for similar schemes for other nationalities, such as Palestinians.
In February 2022, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. The "special military operation", as Russia described it, followed the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. [1]
The war has generated 6.7 million refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Of these, 4.3 million are in the European Union or United Kingdom. [2]
The Home Office's initial response to the crisis focused on British citizens and their families who were in Ukraine and wanted to leave. [3] A concession introduced on 17 February 2022 allowed the immediate family members of British people in Ukraine to apply for a normal family visa free of charge. Visa applications would be fast-tracked but required an appointment to provide fingerprints. [4]
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, also ordered that people in this position who did not meet the full family visa requirements could nevertheless be given a discretionary 12-month visa. [5] Ukrainians already in the UK were given extra flexibility to extend their stay. [6]
These measures did not assist other people in Ukraine, including those with family ties to the UK. Ukrainians remained on the visa national list, meaning that those attempting to enter via France without a visa were turned away. [7] In the days that followed, the Johnson government came under widespread political pressure to help a wider range of people to leave Ukraine. [8]
1.2 Bespoke visa routes announced
On 1 March 2022, Priti Patel announced what she described as "phase two" of the UK's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine. [9] This included two entirely new visa routes:
• The Ukraine Family Scheme, allowing the relatives (not just immediate family) of British citizens or permanent residents to get a temporary visa to live in the UK. It opened for applications on 4 March 2022.
• What became Homes for Ukraine, allowing people with no family ties to the UK to get a visa if they could secure sponsorship from somebody with accommodation to offer. It opened for applications on 18 March 2022.
A third scheme was announced in late March:
• The Ukraine Extension Scheme, allowing Ukrainian citizens already in the UK to extend those visas on improved terms. It opened for applications on 3 May 2022. [10]
All three schemes were free and none were capped. The visas are time-limited with no pathway to permanent residence, but unlike ordinary visas come with access to mainstream benefits.
A minister for refugees, Lord Harrington of Watford, was appointed on 8 March 2022. He remained in post until 6 September 2022, when Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister. [11]
The details of the schemes have evolved over time. The Home Office initially made them more generous. For example, on 8 March 2022, the Family Scheme was extended to allow aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws to be sponsored. [12] The requirement to attend a visa application centre in a neighbouring country to provide fingerprints was also suspended following complaints that this was impractical and slowing down visa issuances. [13]
But in early 2024, significant restrictions were introduced. These included closing the Family Scheme and Extension Scheme to new applicants. [14] Sections 2 and 3 below go into more detail on each scheme.
2 The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
The only special visa scheme still open to new applicants in Ukraine is widely known as Homes for Ukraine. This allows Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family to live in the UK temporarily if a qualifying sponsor offers them a place to stay. There is overview information on gov.uk and more detail in the immigration rules, while eligibility to become a sponsor is set by government guidance.
As of 26 August 2024, the Home Office had issued 190,000 Homes for Ukraine visas and recorded 154,000 people arriving on those visas. [15]
2.1 Homes for Ukraine visa rules
The criteria in the immigration rules are straightforward. The main one is to have an "approved sponsor". [16] An approved sponsor is someone who is eligible under guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (see below). [17]
The visa applicant must be a Ukrainian citizen who was ordinarily resident in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022, or the immediate family member of such a person. [18] There are also some grounds for refusing criminals and other unsuitable applicants. [19]
Sponsors and applicants do not need to know one another beforehand. Many connect on social media; the government does not facilitate matches.
Successful applicants are now granted visas valid for 18 months. People who applied before 18 February 2024 were given 36 months. At time of writing, visas cannot be extended, but from early 2025 it will be possible to apply for an extra 18 months (for a total stay of four and a half years or three years, depending on the length of the initial visa). [20]
Becoming a sponsor
Sponsors must be British, Irish or have the right to live in the UK permanently: indefinite leave to remain or equivalent. [21] This means that Ukrainians living in the UK on temporary visas cannot sponsor friends or relatives.
The sponsor must confirm that they can provide accommodation for at least six months. The accommodation must be safe to live in and sponsors cannot charge rent. [22] Local councils are responsible for checking accommodation.
There is also some suitability screening:
• The Home Office carries out security and criminal records checks of central government databases. [23]
• Councils carry out safeguarding checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) screening. Council officials are also expected to make a welfare check, visiting the accommodation after the guest has arrived. [24]
There are extra safeguards when children are involved, particularly if coming to stay with someone who is not their parent or guardian. [25]
Sponsors are eligible for 'thank-you payments' of £350 per month. This increases to £500 per month after a year of hosting. [26]
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The central UK Government is responsible for borders and immigration but the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have significant responsibilities under Homes for Ukraine. The Scottish Government and Welsh Government also sponsored some people's visas directly, meaning they could come to the UK before being matched with a host rather than afterwards (see next section).
Each of the devolved administrations has supported the scheme financially. For example, the Welsh Government offered higher payments to hosts. [27]
Michael Gove, as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, announced the launch of Homes for Ukraine on 14 March 2022. [28] Applications were possible from 18 March. [29]
Some notable features of the scheme as launched have remained the same since:
• There is no application fee or immigration health surcharge
• Visas come with the right to claim benefits and use the NHS
• The visas are temporary, with no pathway to permanent residence Other aspects have changed over time, as explored in the rest of this section.
Unaccompanied children
Initially, in line with the wishes of the Ukrainian authorities, under-18s were not allowed to travel to the UK alone under the scheme. [30] Children had to be travelling with a parent or guardian, or reuniting with them in the UK.
Early guidance documents did not directly reference this requirement. By June 2022, around 1,000 unaccompanied children had applied to the scheme. [31]
On 22 June 2022, the government announced that under-18s who had already applied to the scheme would be able to come to the UK without a parent or guardian. [32] The route then opened for new applications on 10 August 2022. [33] There are enhanced safeguards involved, including notarised proof of parent's or guardian's consent for the child to leave Ukraine. [34]
As of 22 September 2023, there were 356 unaccompanied children in the UK under Homes for Ukraine. Another 182 had arrived as unaccompanied minors and since turned 18. [35]
Processing times
The Home Office has said that it was initially unable to process visas as quickly as it wanted to. In March 2022 (the first month of the scheme), 18% of the 26,000 applications received were processed within five working days. [36]
This led to widespread criticism of the speed of the government's response. [37] On 30 March 2022, the then Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that processing times had been "shamefully slow". [38] On the same day, refugees minister Lord Harrington accepted that the application process had not been "as seamless as it should be" and said that it would get quicker. [39]
Various steps were taken to shorten processing times. This included deferring in-person appointments (see below) and increased staffing. By May 2022, 71% of applications were processed within five working days. [40]
Processing times gradually increased since mid-2022, in part because staff have been moved back into other roles. [41] In the first half of 2023, the majority of applications took longer than 15 working days. [42] The advertised processing time at time of writing is three weeks. [43]
In-person visa appointments
Many people applying to come to the UK from Ukraine were issued with an official letter granting them permission to travel, instead of the normal visa in their passport. This avoided the need to attend a visa application centre in Ukraine or a neighbouring country to give 'biometrics' (fingerprints and facial scan). The biometric appointment was done in the UK instead, after the person had arrived.
This concession was in place between 15 March 2022 and 7 December 2023. Since then, "all new entry clearance applicants are required to attend a visa application centre (VAC) overseas to give their biometrics". [44]
Extension and increase of payments to hosts
When the scheme was first announced, sponsor could claim a 'thank you payment' of £350 per month for the first 12 months of hosting. [45]
In December 2022, in recognition of the "rising cost-of-living", the government announced that hosts could claim £500 a month for accommodating guests for more than a year. The period for which sponsors could claim payments was also increased to two years. [46]
These payments were extended into a third year in the Autumn Statement 2023. [47]
Super-sponsorship in Scotland and Wales
Ukrainians could apply to be sponsored directly by the Scottish or Welsh Governments under 'super sponsor' schemes established in March 2022. Under these arrangements, the devolved governments acted as sponsors for visa applicants, removing the need for applicants to match with an individual host before travel.
The Welsh Government initially committed to sponsoring up to 1,000 people and the Scottish Government up to 3,000 people. Demand was considerably higher. As of August 2024, there had been 4,600 'super sponsor' visas issued for Wales and 32,600 for Scotland. [48]
New arrivals were initially housed in temporary housing but both governments struggled to find adequate long-term accommodation for Ukrainian arrivals, leading to extended stays in temporary accommodation. [49]
In June and July 2022 respectively, the Welsh and Scottish Governments stopped accepting new applications to their super sponsor schemes. [50] These were said to be temporary pauses but remain in place at time of writing.
Restrictions introduced in 2024
The Conservative government announced various changes to the Ukraine schemes in February 2024. [51] These included the immediate closure of the Family Scheme (see section 3 below) and a new Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme allowing visas to be renewed beyond three years (see section 4).
For Homes for Ukraine:
• The length of visas issued to new arrivals was reduced from three years to 18 months.
The Home Office said this would bring the UK's offer closer to the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which (legally speaking) runs for one year at time. [52]
• Eligibility to become a sponsor was restricted to British citizens, Irish citizens and migrants with the right to live in the UK indefinitely.
Previously, any migrant with permission to live in the UK for six months or more could become a sponsor. This included people who had themselves arrived under Homes for Ukraine and who had found suitable accommodation rather than a hosting arrangement. [53] The change means that in most cases it is no longer possible for Ukrainians in the UK without permanent residence to sponsor relatives to join them.
Uptake As of 26 August 2024, there had been almost 237,000 applications for Homes for Ukraine visas. Over 92% were successful (leaving aside withdrawn and pending applications). [54] Three quarters of applications were lodged in 2022, and one quarter since the start of 2023. [55] Of the 154,000 people recorded as having arrived in the UK: • 76% came to England • 18% came to Scotland, most of whom (21,200) were sponsored by the Scottish Government • 5% came to Wales, around two thirds of whom (3,300) were sponsored by the Welsh Government • At least 1% came to Northern Ireland, although there is a known undercount because of people arriving via the Republic of Ireland [56] Some people will have returned to Ukraine, so the visa data does not tell us how many Ukrainians currently live in the UK under the scheme. One estimate puts the entire Ukrainian population of the UK at 160,000 as of July 2024. [57] |
3 Visas no longer available to new applicants
From 4 March 2022 to 19 February 2024, British citizens and certain long-term residents could sponsor a wide range of Ukrainian relatives for three-year visas with the right to work, claim benefits and use the NHS. This was called the Ukraine Family Scheme.
The Family Scheme was created because there was otherwise no way for most Ukrainians to join family in the UK. It is not possible to apply for asylum outside the UK, and the normal family visa rules only routinely cater for immediate family (partners and children). Options for parents and siblings, for example, are very limited and there is no provision for extended family. [58]
Over 58,000 people came to the UK under the Family Scheme. [59] Announcing its closure, the Sunak government said it had been intended as a short-term response and it was better for people to arrive under Homes for Ukraine exclusively. [60]
Who could be sponsored?
Rules on eligibility for the family scheme evolved quickly amid intense media and political pressure:
• Home Secretary Priti Patel initially announced, on 28 February 2024, that immediate family could be sponsored without having to meet all the usual visa rules. [61]
• The next day, this was extended to parents, grandparents, adult offspring, siblings, and the immediate family of those people in turn. [62]
• A week later, immigration minister Kevin Foster announced that aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws would also be eligible [63]
Officials also had discretion to consider applications from other family members in exceptional circumstances. [64] All this meant that a much wider range of relatives were eligible for sponsorship compared with the usual family visa rules.
Eligibility to sponsor visas was open to British citizens, permanent residents (indefinite leave to remain or equivalent, including EU settled status), people with refugee status and people with EU pre-settled status. [65]
Those already in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme are unaffected by its closure to new applicants. Their visas cannot yet be extended but will be extendable for another 18 months from early 2025. [66]
3.2 The Ukraine Extension Scheme
The Extension Scheme was primarily aimed at helping Ukrainians who were already living in the UK before the 2022 invasion. It was open for applications between 3 May 2022 and 16 May 2024. [67]
Ukrainian citizens could apply for the Extension Scheme if they were living in the UK on a normal visa or without permission. It also catered for people who managed to travel to the UK without a visa and were granted 'leave outside the rules' for six months. [68]
As with the other special visa schemes, permission to stay in the UK on the Extension Scheme lasts for three years with access to benefits and NHS treatment if necessary. The Extension Scheme did not, however, allow people to renew Family Scheme or Homes for Ukraine visas: the total length of stay on the Ukraine schemes as a whole was three years.
Extending any of the special Ukraine visas – the Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine and Extension Scheme – beyond three years will only be possible from early 2025. Somewhat confusingly, the process for renewing these visas is known as the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme. This is different from the Ukraine Extension Scheme.
While applications for the Ukraine Extension Scheme largely closed in May 2024, it remains open for children born in the UK to parents on Ukraine visas.
4 Extensions and permanent residence
From early 2025, Ukraine visa holders will be able to extend them by 18 months. But permanent residence (also known as settlement or indefinite leave to remain) is not allowed. The Conservative government said that Ukraine will be safe to go back to and the visas are therefore temporary, in line with the wishes of the Ukrainian authorities.
4.1 The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme
At time of writing, all Ukraine visas – whether granted under the Family Scheme, Extension Scheme or Homes for Ukraine – last no longer than three years. This means the first tranche will begin to expire in March 2025. They cannot currently be extended.
By the start of 2024, Ukrainian residents were beginning to worry about their visas expiring. [69] The Conservative government announced on 18 February 2024 that 18-month extensions will be possible from early 2025. The process for securing an extension is called the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (not to be confused with the Ukraine Extension Scheme). [70]
Extensions will be free and grant the same rights to work, claim benefits and use the NHS as before. [71] Further details are limited at time of writing.
4.2 Prospects for permanent residence
A typical visa or grant of refugee status allows the person to apply for permanent residence after five years in the UK. The immigration rules governing the Ukraine visa schemes make no provision for permanent residence.
This means that, taking into account the promised 18-month extensions, all Ukraine visas will begin to expire from late 2026.
The Conservative government took the position that allowing settlement is not necessary, nor in the interests of Ukraine:
While we keep any future need for an extension of protection in the UK under review and in line with developments of the situation in Ukraine, we firmly believe that Ukraine will be safe again.
Therefore, and in accordance with the wishes of the Ukrainian Government, the Ukraine schemes are not a route for permanent relocation to the UK but instead allow for temporary protection until they can return home to rebuild Ukraine. [72]
Most Ukrainians would prefer to stay. Around seven in ten (68%) say they would intend to live mostly in the UK even if they felt Ukraine had become safe, according to an Office for National Statistics survey. [73] This had risen from 52% a year earlier. [74]
Given the choice, refugees do not typically leave. Of all the people granted refugee status since 2007, around 3% are recorded as having no immigration status in the UK ten years after they first applied for asylum. [75]
Claiming asylum
People on Ukraine visas do not have refugee status. They could however apply for asylum if no provision were made for permanent residence or visa extensions beyond 2026. A grant of refugee status or humanitarian protection would provide a pathway to permanent residence.
The chances of success would, in most cases, depend on conditions in Ukraine at the time. But applicants would keep their existing visa conditions – such as the right to work, claim benefits and use the NHS – while waiting for a decision on their asylum claim. [76]
Therefore one policy consideration in whether or not to ultimately permit permanent residence on the Ukraine schemes is the possibility that a large number of people would claim asylum if denied another route to settlement.
Switching to other visas
People can also apply to switch from a Ukraine visa to a route that does offer permanent residence, such a Skilled Worker or spouse visa. Ideally they should seek legal advice first, given the cost and other drawbacks.
The European Union is also offering temporary rather than permanent residence to the millions of Ukrainians in its territory.
Ukrainians with biometric passports have had visa-free access to European countries in the Schengen area since June 2017. [77] They can enter and move between Schengen states for up to 90 days. Ireland is not in the Schengen area but lifted its visa requirement for Ukrainian nationals in February 2022. [78]
By 1 March 2022, over 650,000 people had arrived in the EU from Ukraine via Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. On 4 March, the EU Council triggered the bloc's Temporary Protection Directive with immediate effect. [79]
The directive entitles Ukrainians and their family members to a residence permit in the EU country of their choice. It also gives them rights to accommodation, healthcare, social welfare and employment. [80] There is more detail in the Library's briefing on the EU response to the Russian invasion. [81]
Temporary protection is automatic, meaning there is no need for case-by- case asylum decisions. EU governments generally issue residence permits immediately or within a few days, compared to months or even years for a decision on asylum. [82]
Temporary protection under the directive was generally understood to last for a maximum of three years. This would have meant Ukrainians' right to live in the EU would have expired in March 2025, unless the directive were amended. [83]
The EU has instead extended temporary protection for an additional year, until March 2026. [84] The legal basis for this is questionable. [85]
The Ukraine visa schemes were unusual. There are other examples of 'safe and legal routes' for people to come to the UK for humanitarian reasons. But these involve the resettlement of people formally recognised as refugees under the UN Refugee Convention (such as the 2014-2021 Syrian scheme), or who have a particular claim to the UK's protection (such as Hongkongers with a form of British nationality and Afghans at risk of reprisals for assisting British forces). [86]
By contrast, the Ukrainians arriving since 2022 were not granted refugee status and have no prior ties to the British state. The schemes under which they arrived, Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine Family Scheme, also had exceptional features:
• Foreign refugees are not normally accommodated in strangers' homes. While there is a community sponsorship scheme for Convention refugees, the numbers involved are relatively small: around 600 people from 2019/20 to 2023/24. [87] The last use of private homes on a comparable scale was perhaps the accommodation of Belgian refugees in 1914. [88]
• Having relatives in the UK has not normally been used as a criterion for admission on humanitarian grounds. The main exception, known as refugee family reunion, requires a Convention refugee sponsor and is largely limited to immediate family. [89]
Both schemes (although in particular Homes for Ukraine) have therefore attracted a great deal of interest and scrutiny, including as a possible model for other crises.
The visa schemes have been generally considered an effective response, although with reservations about speed and efficiency in the early days. There are also challenges, including in relation to long-term housing and possible homelessness as Homes for Ukraine placements end.
There were widespread reports of practical difficulties encountered by people trying to apply for Ukraine visas in the early days and weeks of the schemes. [90] These included confusion over the changing eligibility criteria for the Family Scheme; the lack of translated information; difficulties making online applications and providing supporting documents; and limited access to visa application centres. Ukraine's ambassador to the UK repeatedly made representations about what he regarded as the bureaucracy involved. [91]
Processing times did become shorter. At the end of March 2022, the Home Office had processed fewer than 50% of the 56,000 Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine visa applications it had received. By the end of June, applications had risen to 166,000 but 89% had been processed. [92]
Writing about the Homes for Ukraine scheme in September 2023, Krish Kandiah of the Sanctuary Foundation concluded:
The government's decision to allow and empower civil society to conduct matching between sponsors and guests was initially met with fear, scepticism and delays. However, government staff worked collaboratively with civil society to help accelerate the process and address any glitches. The resulting speed and scale of the visa roll-out are unprecedented in UK history.
The visa programme initially took five weeks from application to approval but it is now not unusual for a decision to be made within days. This efficiency is due in large part to a surge of capacity in the Home Office and a willingness to rethink existing practices. It is a significant improvement on the process for Syrian refugee sponsorship which took some 12-18 months. [93]
The Public Accounts Committee said in a February 2024 report that Homes for Ukraine had been successfully set up "at pace" and that processing times had improved in 2022 after a slow start. [94]
Offering visas rather than asylum
Some campaigners argued that Ukrainians' initial difficulties illustrate that bespoke visa routes are an inappropriate and inadequate response to refugee-producing situations. [95] For example, immigration lawyer Sonia Lenegan commented "the difficulty and delay in operationalising these 'bespoke' schemes is precisely why we have and need the Refugee Convention, as it acknowledges the reality that people cannot be expected to wait in dangerous situations, and it protects those who have fled to save their lives". [96]
Calls to waive the entry clearance requirement
Some stakeholders concerned about the pace of the UK's initial response suggested that allowing people to travel to the UK without a visa and completing immigration formalities on arrival would have been the best solution. The Immigration Law Practitioners' Association argued that lifting the visa requirement was the single most effective step that the government could have taken to ensure the efficient evacuation and resettlement of refugees. [97]
Ireland, which generally imposes visa requirements on the same countries as the UK, took Ukrainians off its visa-required list on 25 February 2022. [98]
A petition asking the UK Government to "waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian passport holders arriving in the UK" attracted over 189,000 signatures. [99] MPs debated it on 14 March 2022. [100]
The government refused to grant a visa waiver, saying that the application process was necessary for security reasons and to identify fake applications from non-Ukrainians. But it did exempt applicants from the full visa application process: Ukrainians with passports were able to apply entirely online and then given permission to travel letters (by email) rather than needing a hard copy visa sticker. [101] This concession was in place from 15 March 2022 to 7 December 2023.
5.2 Long-term accommodation and homelessness
Reports on the Ukraine schemes have flagged the challenge of finding long- term accommodation and the possibility of mass homelessness. This is a particular challenge with Homes for Ukraine.
Homes for Ukraine hosts are asked to provide accommodation for a minimum of six months. There is no special supply of accommodation for guests to move into after that. Their options are to try to extend the hosting arrangement; look for a new host; look for private rented accommodation; or ask their local authority for housing support in the normal way. [102]
In practice, hosting arrangements tend to last longer than the initial six months. Around half of those hosting in 2023 had been doing so for more than a year. [103] The structure of 'thank you payments' – rising from £350 to £500 per month after the first year – is designed to encourage this. [104]
Council homelessness services in England dealt with around 9,500 Ukrainian households from February 2022 to March 2024. [105] The Public Accounts Committee has warned that the risk of homelessness is likely to increase as hosting arrangements end or break down. It noted that there is no obligation on hosts to provide accommodation for the whole time guests are in the UK. [106]
A British Red Cross report found in July 2024 that "while the Ukraine response successfully delivered safety at scale, some new arrivals have experienced challenges with unsuitable accommodation, precarious housing and homelessness". [107] Participants in a focus group said that not knowing how long they would be able to stay with their hosts was stressful. [108]
Hosts often feel under pressure to let guests stay on longer than originally intended. As noted by University of Nottingham researchers, for some people "what began as a short-term, six-month commitment has become a situation where guests may become homeless if they are unable to continue their hosting arrangements". [109]
Most Ukrainians on the special visa schemes (88%) are satisfied with their current accommodation. But half (50%) say they experienced barriers to renting privately. Of those, 49% said they had no guarantor or references and 42% simply found it unaffordable. [110] The British Red Cross says that rent deposit and guarantor schemes should be offered consistently across the UK (among other recommendations). [111]
UK Government support for housing
The government says that its payments to councils to fund the Homes for Ukraine scheme included a homelessness prevention component. [112]
It has also provided extra funding for councils to address Ukrainian homelessness. It is allocated based on the number of arrivals in each area. The funding came to £150 million in 2023/24 and £120 million in 2024/25. [113]
A separate Local Authority Housing Fund distributed £500 million in capital grants for councils in England to buy and refurbish homes for Ukrainians, as well as Afghan refugees. [114] The Local Government Association says there should be future funding to build on this. [115]
5.3 Calls for similar schemes for other countries
From the outset, some campaigners objected to special treatment for Ukraine, regarding it as discrimination against non-white refugees from other conflicts and regimes. [116] Refugee rights organisations often argue for wider or universal access to safe and legal routes to the UK.
Such groups, as well as some parliamentarians, have also called for country- specific schemes along similar lines to those in place for Ukraine.
For example:
• Following the outbreak of the 2023/24 Israel-Hamas conflict, over 100,000 people signed a parliamentary petition calling for a Palestinian Family Scheme. [117] MPs debated it on 13 May 2024. [118]
• Similarly, a wide range of migrants' rights organisations published an April 2024 open letter calling for a Gaza Family Scheme. [119]
• MPs have on occasion asked about a Sudan Family Scheme since the outbreak of civil war in that country. [120]
• There were also enquiries about the possibility of special visas for people affected by an earthquake in Turkey and Syria in early 2023. [121]
The Conservative government declined to replicate the Ukraine schemes for other nationalities. It generally argued that it was focusing on humanitarian response and noted that large numbers of people had already come to the UK under safe and legal routes. [122] The government's January 2024 report on such routes said "the capacity of the UK is limited, and we are unable to provide a route for resettlement for all those who wish to come here". [123]
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[1] See Commons Library briefing 9723, Ukraine conflict: An overview
[2] UNHCR, Operational Data Portal, Ukraine Refugee Situation, accessed on 23 August 2024
[3] "Priti Patel clashes with Labour over visas for people fleeing Ukraine", Guardian, 26 February 2022
[4] Home Office, Support for family members of British nationals in Ukraine, and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK, 17 February 2022 (archived)
[5] Home Office press release, Home Secretary announces visa concessions for Ukrainians, 24 February 2024 (referring to an order given two weeks before, but apparently not publicised at the time)
[6] As above
[7] "Anger and exhaustion as Ukrainians turned away by UK in Calais", Guardian, 9 March 2022
[8] For example, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP), X (Twitter), 27 February 2022; Scottish Government press release, First Minister: Waive visas for Ukrainians, 1 March 2022; YouGov, Support for taking in Ukraine refugees rises to 76%, 2 March 2022; "Senior Tory says UK's Ukrainian Refugee Policy 'Doesn't Cut It' As Crisis Escalates", Politics Home, 3 March 2022
[9] HC Deb 1 March 2022 c915 (building on an update provided during Home Office questions the previous day, HC Deb 28 February c700)
[10] HCWS736 [on Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules], 29 March 2022
[11] Gov.uk, Lord Harrington, accessed on 14 August 2024
[13] HC Deb 10 March 2022 c467
[14] See Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Ukraine visa schemes – what has changed?, 29 February 2024. The Ukraine Extension Scheme is still open to new-born children.
[15] Home Office, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data, 29 August 2024
[16] Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme, accessed on 13 August 2024, para UKR 15.1
[17] Home Office, Immigration Rules: introduction, accessed on 13 August 2024, paragraph 6.2
[18] Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme, 13 August 2024, para UKR 17.1
[19] As above, paragraph 12.1
[20] Home Office, Ukraine Permission Extension scheme information, 28 February 2024
[21] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Eligibility, safeguarding, DBS and accommodation checks: Homes for Ukraine, 19 February 2024
[22] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Basic accommodation needs: Homes for Ukraine, 16 January 2023; HL Deb 3 November 2022 c124GC
[23] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Eligibility, safeguarding, DBS and accommodation checks: Homes for Ukraine, 19 February 2024
[24] As above; see also Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Welfare checks and follow up visits: Homes for Ukraine, 16 January 2023 (applicable to councils in England)
[25] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for councils (children and minors applying without parents or legal guardians), 19 February 2024
[26] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Paying sponsors: Homes for Ukraine, 19 February 2024
[27] Welsh Government press release, Ukrainian hosts see uplift in 'thank you' payments as Wales continues to prove itself as a Nation of Sanctuary, 16 March 2023
[28] HC Deb 14 March 2022 cc619-20
[29] Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities press release, 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme launches, 14 March 2022
[30] Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, Oral evidence: Support for Ukrainian Refugees, 30 March 2022, HC 1223 2022-23, Q185
[31] "Ukraine refugees: UK set to admit lone teenagers after rule change", BBC News, 22 June 2022
[32] WS 123 [on Homes for Ukraine: update], 22 June 2022
[33] Home Office, Statement of changes in Immigration Rules, HC 511, 20 July 2022
[34] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for councils (children and minors applying without parents or legal guardians), 19 February 2024
[35] National Audit Office, Investigation into the Homes for Ukraine scheme, 17 October 2023, para 2.20
[36] National Audit Office, Investigation into the Homes for Ukraine scheme, 17 October 2023, para 2.8
[37] "Ukrainian refugees: frustration grows over long wait times for UK visas", The Guardian, 25 March 2022; "Homes for Ukraine: 'It's sad, slow and frustrating'", BBC News, 22 March 2022
[38] Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP), X(Twitter), 30 March 2022, accessed on 27 August 2024
[39] Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, Oral evidence: Support for Ukrainian Refugees, 30 March 2022, HC 1223 2022-23, Q188
[40] National Audit Office, Investigation into the Homes for Ukraine scheme, 17 October 2023, figure 9
[41] As above, para 2.11
[42] As above, p30
[43] UK Visas and Immigration, Visa processing times: applications outside the UK, 9 July 2024
[44] Home Office, Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: caseworker guidance, version 7.0, 19 February 2024, pp8-9
[45] HC Deb 14 March 2022 c620
[46] Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, New over £650 million support package for Ukrainians sees increased 'thank you' payments for longer-term hosts, 14 December 2022
[47] HM Treasury, Autumn Statement 2023 (PDF), November 2023, para 4.107
[48] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority, 29 August 2024
[49] British Red Cross, Finding a Safe Home, July 2024, p28
[50] Welsh Government, Written Statement: Update on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, 8 June 2022; Scottish Government, Super sponsor scheme paused, 11 July 2022
[51] WS 258 [on Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules], 19 February 2024
[52] Home Office, Explanatory memorandum to the statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (PDF), 19 February 2024, p3
[53] Law Centre NI, Ukrainians as Homes for Ukraine sponsors (PDF), July 2023
[54] Home Office, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data, 29 August 2024
[55] Library analysis of the above combined with Ukraine visa schemes summary tables, year ending March 2024, 13 June 2024, table UVS_01
[56] Home Office, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority, 29 August 2024
[57] Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, Ukrainian migration to the UK, 27 August 2024
[58] Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Adult Dependent Relative, accessed on 15 August 2024
[59] Home Office, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data, 15 August 2024
[60] HCWS258 [on Changes in Immigration Rules], 19 February 2024
[64] Home Office, Ukraine Scheme: caseworker guidance, version 4.0, 11 March 2022 (archived), p13
[65] As above, p10
[66] Home Office, Ukraine Permission Extension scheme information, 28 February 2024
[67] Home Office, Statement of changes in Immigration Rules, HC 1220, 29 March 2022; Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme, accessed on 13 August 2024, paragraph UKR 21.2(d)
[68] Home Office, Statement of changes in immigration rules, HC 1496, 17 July 2023, explanatory memorandum, paragraph 7.6
[69] See for example HC Deb 6 February 2024 c28WH
[70] "Ukraine visa schemes to be extended by 18 months", BBC News, 18 February 2024; Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities press release, Government extends stay for Ukrainians in the UK, 19 February 2024
[71] UK Visas and Immigration, Ukraine Permission Extension scheme information, 28 February 2024; PQ 660 [on Refugees: Ukraine], answered on 26 July 2024
[72] Response to e-petition 632761, 27 February 2023; PQ 16531 [on Visas: Ukraine], 11 March 2024
[73] Office for National Statistics, Visa holders living in the UK under the Ukraine Humanitarian Schemes, follow-up survey: 15 April to 22 April 2024, 3 June 2024, section 3
[74] Office for National Statistics, Visa holders entering the UK under the Ukraine Humanitarian Schemes: 27 April to 15 May 2023, 7 July 2023. The ONS cautions against making comparisons from survey to survey because of question changes, but the wording of this question was identical.
[75] Home Office, Migrant journey: 2023 report, 23 May 2024, figure 12
[76] Immigration Act 1971, section 3C
[77] European Commission, Visa liberalisation with Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, accessed on 22 August 2024
[78] Immigration Act 2004 (Visas) (Amendment) Order 2022, SI 86/2022
[79] Council implementing decision (EU) 2022/382, 4 March 2022
[80] European Commission, Temporary protection, accessed on 22 August 2024
[81] Library briefing CBP-9503, The EU response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, section 2.6
[82] European Union Agency for Asylum, Analysis of Measures to Provide Protection to Displaced Persons from Ukraine: Situational Report, 6 July 2022, p14
[83] European Parliament Research Service, When EU temporary protection for displaced people from Ukraine ends: Possible scenarios, 16 May 2024
[84] Council implementing decision (EU) 2024/1836, 25 June 2024
[85] EU Law Analysis, Legal landmine: the risky proposition of extending the application of the EU Temporary Protection Directive beyond March 2025, 31 May 2024
[86] See Library briefing CBP-9630, Safe and legal routes to the UK for people seeking protection
[87] Home Office, Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets, year ending June 2024, 22 August 2024, table Asy_D02
[88] "Many thousands of refugees were maintained by Local Committees and by private hosts without cost to the State, for, in some cases, the whole duration of the war, and in others for more or less considerable periods": Ministry of Health, Report on the work undertaken by the British government in the reception and care of the Belgian refugees, 1920, p9
[89] See Home Office, Family reunion: for individuals with protection status in the UK, version 10.0, 17 July 2023
[90] "Britain's Ukraine visa scheme is complex and unfair, say critics", Guardian, 5 March 2022; HC Deb 8 March 2022 c197-217; "UK slammed for 'truly dreadful' treatment of Ukrainian refugees amid confusion over Home Office visa process", Independent, 9 March 2022; "Ukraine war: Visas a shambles, Brits with Ukrainian family say", BBC News, 10 March 2022
[91] "Ukrainian ambassador Prystaiko criticises UK's botched bureaucracy", Reaction, 9 March 2022; "Ukraine ambassador urges Priti Patel to relax UK visa scheme", Guardian, 3 May 2022; "Tory Ministers Don't Know Who Is In Charge Of Ukraine Refugee Scheme", PoliticsHome, 10 October 2022
[92] Library analysis of Home Office, Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes detailed datasets, year ending June 2024, 22 August 2024
[93] Forced Migration Review, The UK's Homes for Ukraine scheme: a model for the future?, September 2023
[94] Committee of Public Accounts, Homes for Ukraine, HC 69 2023-24, 23 February 2024
[95] HC Deb 8 March 2022 c200-1; Refugee Council, Refugee sector comes together in support of people in Ukraine, 9 March 2022
[96] Free Movement, The reality of Priti Patel's "bespoke" humanitarian routes, 7 March 2022
[97] Immigration Law Practitioners' Association, Letter to the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities regarding Ukraine, 4 March 2022
[98] Irish Department of Justice, Minister McEntee announces immediate lifting of visa requirements between Ukraine and Ireland, 25 February 2022
[99] E-petition 609530, closed on 28 August 2022
[100] HC Deb 14 March 2022 cc191-232WH
[101] HC Deb 10 March 2022 c467; HC Deb 14 March 2022 cc228-230WH
[102] See Commons Library briefing CBP-9709, Homes for Ukraine: What happens after six months?
[103] Office for National Statistics, Experiences of Homes for Ukraine scheme sponsors, UK: 10 to 21 August 2023, 4 October 2023, figure 1
[104] WS 447 [on Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Update], 14 December 2022
[105] Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Homelessness management information - Ukrainian nationals: England, 18 April 2024
[106] Committee of Public Accounts, Homes for Ukraine, HC 69 2023-24, 23 February 2024
[107] British Red Cross, Finding a Safe Home, July 2024, p12
[108] As above, p22
[109] University of Nottingham Rights Lab, Homes for Ukraine: learnings to inform and shape future hosting schemes (PDF), March 2023, p48
[110] Office for National Statistics, Visa holders living in the UK under the Ukraine Humanitarian Schemes, follow-up survey: 15 April to 22 April 2024, 3 June 2024
[111] British Red Cross, Finding a Safe Home, July 2024, p8
[112] PQ 14932 [on Refugees: Ukraine], answered on 27 February 2024
[113] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Homelessness Prevention Grant: Homes for Ukraine scheme support, 28 February 2024
[114] Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Local Authority Housing Fund Prospectus and Guidance (PDF), December 2022
[115] Local Government Association, Debate on the potential merits of extending the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, House of Commons, 6 February 2024, 2 February 2024
[116] NACCOM, 'Homes for Ukraine' – our response, 15 March 2022; Institute of Government and Public Policy, Double standards? Assessing the Ukraine refugee crisis, 25 April 2022; "Home Office accused of being 'unashamedly racist' towards Sudanese", Observer, 7 May 2023
[117] E-petition 648577, closed on 18 April 2024
[119] Helen Bamber Foundation, Joint letter calling for urgent Gaza Family Scheme, 2 April 2024
[120] HC Deb 13 May 2024 c28WH; PQ 191981 [on Refugees: Sudan], 30 June 2023; HC Deb 3 May 2023 c109. See also Migrant Champions Network, Situation in Sudan – Briefing for councillors (PDF), May 2023.
[121] HC Deb 20 March 2023 c21; PQ 169494 [on Visas: Syria and Turkey], answered on 27 March 2023
[122] For example, PQ 852 [on Refugees: Palestinians], answered on 8 November 2023
[123] Home Office, Report on Safe and Legal Routes Illegal Migration Act 2023 (Section 61), 11 January 2024