These are two measures that make it clear that the British want to do something about the inadequate reception of Ukrainian refugees so far. While Poland has already welcomed more than a million refugees, in the United Kingdom there are only a few hundred.
But the government is working on a more generous reception program. The ‘Homes for Ukraine’ program should start by the end of this week. Britons can register on a website where they can indicate whether they want to receive Ukrainian refugees. This is a shelter for at least six months.
The government rewards hospitality by transferring £350 a month per refugee housed. The rooms offered must meet certain standards and a possible criminal history of those who offer a room will be looked at.
Visa
The British insist on issuing a visa for the refugees. While showing a Ukrainian passport is sufficient for most of Ukraine’s neighboring countries, the British do not want to change their requirement that refugees meet normal entry requirements. This policy was criticized last week. France was outraged that Britons were referring Ukrainians about to make the crossing from Calais to Dover to Brussels or Paris to apply for visas.
The conditions have now been relaxed to the extent that refugees are able to apply for a visa via the internet. But that also creates problems because refugees have to show proof of the address at which they recently stayed in Ukraine. Fleeing from the Russian bombings, not everyone thinks of making a copy of the most recent energy bill.
Michael Gove, who was tasked with easing reception for Ukrainians within the government, floated this Sunday the idea of using the homes of sanctioned Russian oligarchs to host refugees. During a BBC political breakfast show, Gove made it clear on Sunday morning that his plan still has some legal snags. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would object, among other things, because they fear that legal proceedings will follow.
Abramovich
Yet there is already much speculation in the United Kingdom about the reception of refugees in the lavish urban villa of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich near Kensington Palace. Abramovich had put this villa, estimated to be worth nearly $200 million, up for sale two weeks ago. However, the sale has been halted, as sanctioned Russians are not allowed to profit from the sale of their British possessions.
However, the oligarchs are allowed to live in their homes, although that is only sporadically the case for those who have been sanctioned. For example, Abramovich has only been spotted in London once in the past year. According to The Mail on Sunday By the way, Abramovich owns seventy houses in the United Kingdom, with an estimated total value of €600 million.
Gove wants to use the homes of sanctioned Russians for refugee reception or for “other social purposes.” He thinks it is possible to overcome the legal objections. “It should be possible to use the assets as long as sanctions are in place against the Russian government’s accomplices.”
The number of Russians subject to British sanctions is expected to increase significantly this week. Last week, the British government tightened legislation to make it easier to impose sanctions. The House of Commons unanimously agreed to the tightening.
Netherlands
Dutch municipalities are in a wait-and-see role. There the focus is now mainly on the immediate reception of the incoming Ukrainians. Paying or not paying citizens is, they say, not up to local authorities. A spokesperson for the Association of Dutch Municipalities: ,,Manuals are being prepared at a national level for municipalities and private shelters. We are waiting for that.”
Incidentally, they want to say to the municipality of Utrecht, where they also had to accommodate dozens of Ukrainians last weekend, that giving compensation to hospitable citizens is a good thing. A spokeswoman for the fourth largest city in the Netherlands: “These people come from a war situation and you want them to be able to pick up their lives independently as soon as possible. If we can do that by picking up that life again at home with people, we think that’s a good thing.”