Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP (Wokingham) (Con): With a three-year visa but only six months of guaranteed accommodation, will people have any tenant rights? What is the back-up provision if the sponsor wants to terminate well before the end of the visa?
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations: It is our expectation that those who commit to have someone in their home for six months are undertaking quite a significant commitment, but it is already the case that the expressions of interest suggest that there are many people who want to do exactly that. The experience of previous sponsorship schemes has been that those who have undertaken such a commitment have found it a wonderful thing to have done, and the number of those who have dropped out or opted out has been small. However, it is the case—my right hon. Friend is absolutely right—that there may be occasions where relationships break down, and in those circumstances we will be mobilising the support of not only of central Government and local government, but of civil society, to ensure that individuals who are here can move on. The final thing I would want to say is that many of those on the frontline coming here will of course be women and children, but many of those coming here will want to work, to contribute and to be fully part of society. It is the case already that we have had offers from those in the private sector willing to provide training and jobs to people so that they can fully integrate into society for as long as they are here.
March 15, 2022
VIP topic Matching families requirements is extremely important given age and other differences and so grateful Sir John raised it.
Expectations on all sides can be daunting and cultural and religious differences too but it is helped by NGOs like local Polish and Ukrainian organisations and Citizens advice in some UK towns and cities.
March 15, 2022
Plus basic language differences Ukrainian and English. Fortunately western media songs and films will have been experienced to help.
March 15, 2022
Three hundred and fifty pounds a month will, I suppose just about cover the extra heating and perhaps insurance costs. Not as generous as the Lords tax free bung (of nearly as much every day though). Though generous here is clearly the wrong word as it is all from money taken by force off taxpayers.
So will these landlords have all the mad red tape and costs lumped onto all other landlords by this socialist government? Energy Performance Certificates and minimum qualifications, Gas and Electric Safely Certificates, Deposit Protection Schemes, inability to evict without huge legal costs and even then, taxes on profits not even made (due to interest not being tax deductable), potential CGT tax too… or are these special & exempt landlords? Can we all be exempt from this expensive red tape lunacy please?
March 15, 2022
Just make sure you keep a ledger of all your expenses. Have the evidence when you make a claim on the Russian reparation fund. Make the Russians pay.
March 15, 2022
Surprise! The flow of migrants from the EU dries up, then our government opens the door to Ukrainians and our altruistic private sector is standing ready to give them training and jobs. Bless them. And once again, damn those already living and working here.
March 15, 2022
Many will be women & children. For the women wishing to work, surely some of them with younger children where perhaps they are not joining family already here who might have been able to offer help, will require assistance with daily or occasional childcare, nursery e.g. and the expense of that if required hours are not available free of charge. Just a thought.
March 15, 2022
People say that Poland is accommodating all the refugees, why can’t the UK do more immediately?
“According to United Nations projections, if the current trend continues, by 2050 Poland’s population is likely to fall to around 33 million people, before plummeting to around 23 million by the end of the century.27 Jul 2021”
So is this just a movement of people from one poor region to another?
26 Jan 2021 “Statistics for 2020 show deaths spiked in Poland to a level unseen since World War II and births sharply declined, trends attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and described by some as a demographic crisis.” Aljazeera.
In the UK “The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and with no end to population growth in sight, pressure on wildlife, housing, public services …” source Population matters
March 15, 2022
Absolutely spot on intervention.
From what little I know the law surrounding rent book/no rent book…invitation/ exclusion from property…..the whole shebang is full of pitfalls for renter, host, landlord and guest! What about accident insurance for example?
Or is this the beginning of destroying property rights?
You will own nothing!
March 15, 2022
I would say this is not a commercial arrangement but hospitality. Hence the word “thank you” for the notional payment. So the legal obligations might be the same as for private guests. Just liability for damage.
March 15, 2022
The official website says the Ukrainian refugees will be able to access healthcare. I was wondering what healthcare that would be. A friend of mine has been waiting more than 2 years for knee surgery, I’m told there is a 6 million waiting list and my experience is that a GP appointment is nigh impossible. So how will Ukrainians get access to healthcare when British people can’t?
We would be happy to take in some refugees, but for their sakes they had better be healthy.
March 15, 2022
Reply to Dave A
I don’t know if anyone can correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I’ve heard, refugees are given priority over the indigenous?
March 15, 2022
It is the wonderful people among the population of this country who are offering their homes to the victims of Putin’s bloody, criminal, and utterly needless war, not any government.
In most cases they would have done so without any payment too, and lament the difficulties that the UK authorities have placed in the path of those whom they are trying to help.
March 15, 2022
The UK authorities are doing the right thing by taking care who they let in (so why don’t they do this with the dinghy people?). Sadly many criminals will try to exploit the Ukrainian crisis and use it as an opportunity for people-trafficking.
March 16, 2022
Let’s hope that great care is being taken with the, as yet unofficially reported number of up to 750, judged to be mainly males, landed at Dover yesterday (though Breitbart yesterday mentions 300 at the time of its reporting yesterday so by now may be out of date, as on good weather days they arrive at all times of the day, so who knows) How many questions are being asked of these people these days on arrival, the number being reduced in the past when things became ‘difficult’ This is a whole lot of hotel rooms needed but presumably working with our French friends and partners the HO is ably managing it with forward planning and liaison. When is the HO going to issue daily & exact facts and figures. Bitter? You bet !
March 15, 2022
You old virtue signaller you NHL
Presumably you are doing your bit by opening up your properties?
Do tell us.
March 16, 2022
Yes.
March 16, 2022
Hold your horses NLH, it is the British public that will be providing school places, healthcare, dentistry, benefits. The room for six months is just a quick fix in the hope that peace will be restored and that they can go back to their homes, as long as Putin doesn’t get away with not paying to rebuild what he first destroyed.
March 15, 2022
What happens if they do not want to leave, who rounds them up? Home Office has an appalling record under socialist Tories, 250,000 lost to the system under May and 56,000 lost to Rudd, 0lus all the illegal immigrants!
What has been done since the revelation of losing all these people to find them and deport them to save the NHS?
Johnson off on a jolly to speak to the Saudi’s about oil. They executed, by beheading, 81 last Saturday. What about the lack of virtue signalling. Democracy, human rights etc.
March 15, 2022
A Ukrainian is for life not just for Easter.
March 15, 2022
No, just until they can rejoin their loved ones.
March 16, 2022
Here? or there?
March 16, 2022
Does that apply to all the other refugees arriving here daily?
March 15, 2022
Why is our government always so willing to spend our money on foreign affairs when it ignores our problems at home?
There are plenty of homeless on our streets that could do with some help and attention, never mind a variety of other internal problems that HMG pretend do not exist and do their best to ignore.
Like a benefit taker used to a free ride, the government is so used to throwing our money around at problems, which is the embodiment of socialism — they cannot see solutions that do not involve making us destitute.
March 15, 2022
The homeless on our streets are often there for a reason – drink, drug problems, mental health, behaviour problems – not the kind of people you would feel comfortable having in any home you own. Yes they do need help, but that would be of the professional social worker kind. I doubt the bombed out Ukrainian families have quite the same need.
March 16, 2022
Many of the homeless I see on London’s streets have cardboard signs asking for ÂŁ18 for a roof for the night. ÂŁ350 would pay for 2/3 of every month without anyone needing to open their homes to someone with a problem.
March 15, 2022
Maybe, if Britain was not overflowing with illegal immigrants flooding across the Channel – more than 200 came yesterday alone!! – we might be able to accommodate genuine refugees from Ukraine somewhat better. The government’s refusal to stop the Channel invaders means we are now bursting at the seams. The government is spending some ÂŁ5 MILLION A DAY housing all the illegals coming from faraway continents in high class hotels, and now cannot respond to what is happening here in Europe. What a shameful bunch of morons and traitors the government are, and yet Tory backbenchers still refuse to oust this contemptible prime minister who is destroying Britain.
March 16, 2022
Hear, hear X-Tory.
March 15, 2022
Won’t the daily 200-odd new arrivals plus refugees be somewhat disappointed with no food, no heat Britain?
Will there be special discounts for 4* hotels or do we just add rising costs to the present ÂŁ5 million per day?
March 15, 2022
even in the best case of a French exchange student, when they end up making out with your daughter measures have to be taken…
March 16, 2022
In handing out access to benefits and our labour market to Ukrainian refugees is this setting a precedent for all other ‘refugees’?
I can only presume it does, the Government has been wavering on not allowing asylum seekers the opportunity to work, especially with employers keen to exploit a bit of cheap labour. We can all see the likely outcome of this, the race baiters will get out there and shout racism, and the Government, not known to have much of a spine on such matters, will willingly capitulate . They have been looking for a way to limit the costs of their asylum policy, with no desire what so ever to put an end to this racket what better way to reduce costs on the treasury in the short term than by dump them on the British people and make them have to fight harder to see a Doctor, get a place for their children in school, or decent pay ?
This generosity from Gove is a cynical play by the Government with implications elsewhere. May be Gove’s ambition was always to become the patron saint of people smugglers, for he is about to give them the biggest marketing boost they could ever have dreamed about.
March 16, 2022
Sir John
Thank you for asking this valid question. I would also like to know what is being done to properly ensure those seeking to come here are properly vetted along with those offering to house them, as it seems to me this represents an opportunity for people smugglers.
I’d like to know when virtue signallers in the government are going to stop bending to the Twitterati whenever they get a bit cross about something.
Given the words of the Ukraine PM I am appalled at the media and Gove rushing to bring yet more people into our broke, over crowded, over stretched country. Despicable.
Poland and Romania have rather more space given many of their population are over here. How many are Germany, France, Holland, USA etc ACTUALLY taking?