Local authorities in London are struggling to cope with the amount of bogus Ukraine refugee sponsorship offers they receive, a migrants’ charity has warned.
A new report from Work Rights Centre found that data validation issues and communication issues between councils, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Home Office meant some visas on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme were approved without councils having completed appropriate checks on properties/sponsors. The charity warned this left Ukrainians at risk of exploitation.
Based on interviews with Ukraine response teams covering 12 local areas in London, the research found that the absence of data validation mechanisms meant that, in practice, ‘precious time was spent by councils investigating bogus addresses.’
One council estimated that ‘fewer than 10% of sponsors who express interest actually respond, once we contact them about matching; and even fewer commit to doing the DBS checks and going through the process. Months have gone by since they signed up, many didn’t understand the requirements involved, and there’s a lot of bad data, with sponsors like “Mickey Mouse” and “Vladimir Putin” registered.’
The response teams, who collectively support around 5,300 Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine (HFU) Scheme (roughly 36% of all HFU arrivals in the capital), also report that their staff were suffering anxiety and emotional distress due to the overwhelming pressure they were under.
Spokespeople for Work Rights Centre said: ‘While the UK's response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has placed local authorities at the frontline, a substantive examination of what has gone right, what has gone wrong and what challenges authorities have faced has so far been lacking.
‘Our latest report hopes to shed more light on how the UK's response has unfolded in practice on the ground, what this has meant for Ukrainians who have arrived in the UK seeking refuge and what lessons policymakers can take forward in future considerations about the UK's response to similar humanitarian crises.’
Commenting on the report, Cllr Georgia Gould, chair of London Councils, said: ‘In a fast-moving and unpredictable situation, boroughs moved quickly and worked extremely hard to welcome Ukrainian refugees to London. Councils have faced – and continue to face – immense challenges, including in verifying information, ensuring arrivals are safeguarded, and securing appropriate accommodation for Ukrainians when their hosting arrangements come to an end. There are particular pressures in London due to the severe shortage of affordable housing.
‘We’re relieved the Government has listened to our concerns and clarified future funding arrangements for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme while also announcing extra funding to help acquire more refugee housing. However, there are still considerable financial pressures on boroughs, especially in relation to Ukrainian refugees who arrived under the Ukraine family visa scheme and other routes which councils are not funded to support.
‘A massive humanitarian crisis requires all levels of government working closely together. This includes ensuring councils have the resources we need to deliver support on the ground to Ukrainians alongside other refugee and asylum arrivals and the wider community.’
A Government spokesperson commented: ‘Our priority has been to ensure those in danger can reach safety as quickly as possible.
‘We are proud that Homes for Ukraine has seen more than 110,000 Ukrainians welcomed to the UK thanks to the generosity of sponsors right across the country.
‘The Home Office only issues visas once robust checks have been completed. Councils are then required to conduct in-person welfare checks once a Ukrainian has arrived, and are alerted as soon as an application is made to complete DBS checks on all individuals in a sponsor’s household.’
