UK care homes and estate agents among those offering spare rooms to refugees fleeing Ukraine

Watch video report by ITV News Meridian's Joe Coshan

Care homes and estate agents in the UK have joined the effort to offer spare rooms to refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

One healthcare provider in Sussex has offered around 150 rooms across three care homes it manages.

Tony Stein, Chief Executive of Healthcare Management Solutions, said: "The scenes that you see on TV everyday are heartbreaking.

"I had a conversation with the shareholder and the owner of the properties and we just said well we've got some empty properties and maybe there is a way we can utilise them to help.

"It's complicated, are we allowing people in as asylum seekers, or are we going to give them visas and protected status, who picks up the tab for this?

• Tony Stein says the scenes in Ukraine are "heartbreaking" and he just wants to help

"These are not simple questions and I get that. But it starts with having facilities like this that we can utilise and then we worry about how we fund it.

"Ultimately I'm sure we're going to end up with Ukrainians living in the UK that we are helping, people that are fleeing war. The start point is where are they going to live?

"If we can get over that hurdle then we can get over how we fund it, that's the secondary issue isn't it?"

Tony suggests giving the refugees jobs in the care sector so they can be self-sufficient until they return to Kyiv. 

He said: "I can only speak from my experience and my experience is with the care sector, and we have major staffing issues at the moment.

"Ukrainians coming in, potentially we could give them employment and they can fund their own accommodation and give them some gainful employment, give them some independence, give them some self-respect and dignity.

"Maybe in two years time when they've rebuilt Kyiv and they can go back home, they'll want to go back home, but in the meantime we've found a solution."

Jamie Rogers, who runs his own estate agency in Tonbridge in Kent, has made a property available for two Ukrainian families to move into, rent free, for six months.

Jamie, from Open House Estate Agents, said: "I think it's important. We've got an opportunity where we can do it and I just think it's something that will be really helpful to the people that are coming to the UK.

"It's something I feel passionate about, I've done all sorts of things to help but this was an opportunity which became available that I was involved in, so I'd really like to promote it and help two families come to the UK.

"The landlord has agreed to reduce the rent, so we are going to then fund the first six months of support. We'll also support the families from there."

• Jamie Rogers says it's "important" to help the Ukrainian refugees fleeing war

Jamie says that the properties will be fully furnished and have WiFi so the occupants can contact family back home in Ukraine.

Once the Russian invasion began, Jamie set up a donation point to collect medical supplies, clothing, pet supplies, toiletries, sleeping bags and duvets.

He is coordinating the effort to load up vans.

They will then be taken to Poland to help those who have fled the war.

However, despite the goodwill of companies and individuals, because of Brexit, the door to Britain is closed.

There is currently no scheme to allow people with a spare room to link up with Ukrainians.

Many Ukrainians have travelled more than 1,000 miles to escape the shelling only to be blocked at the final hurdle, the Calais border, because of delays in processing visa applications.

As of Tuesday morning, March 8, only 300 visa applications had been granted with more than 17,000 applications to come to the UK still pending.

Kent MP Sir Roger Gale has hit out at the Home Office for delays which he says are "unacceptable" and is calling for a visa waiver scheme to be started.

A Government spokesperson said: “Last week we announced a new sponsorship route which will allow Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come to the UK.

“This is alongside our Ukraine Family Scheme, which has already seen thousands of people apply, as well as changes to visas so that people can stay in the UK safely.

“The routes we have put in place follow extensive engagement with Ukrainian partners. This is a rapidly moving and complex picture and as the situation develops we will continue to keep our support under constant review.”