Michael Gove 'encouraging' about Wales plan for welcoming Ukranian refugees

Credit: PA

The First Minister said he has had an "encouraging" response from Michael Gove and the UK Government to plans for Wales and Scotland to become “super sponsors” of Ukranian refugees. 

At the weekend, Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon wrote to the UK minister Michael Gove, when he announced a Homes for Ukraine scheme, which will allow individuals charities, community groups, and businesses to bring people fleeing the war in Ukraine to safety here in the UK even if they have no family or other ties here.

Under the scheme, those offering homes to refugees would receive a thank you payment of £350 a month.

It is seen as being the UK Government's answer to sustained criticism of its handling of the refugee crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Welsh and Scottish First Ministers said the answer to concerns that the programme will leave too much up to individuals lay in allowing their governments to become “super sponsors.”

They argued that would enable them to ensure the right services are available to all those taking part, both hosts and refugees. 

Today Nicola Sturgeon told Members of the Scottish Parliament that the UK Government had indicated its support “in principle” for the initiative.

And Mark Drakeford told MPs that he had received an “encouraging” letter from Michael Gove.

He had been asked by Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price about the concerns mentioned above.

“First Minister, refugee charities have expressed their concern that Ukrainians arriving through this scheme will not be given refugee status, limiting their access to benefits, for example. 

“They also point out that matching hosts to guests requires sensitivity and experience. A proper home visit needs to be undertaken to ensure homes are suitable and that everyone in the host household is fully committed and knows what to expect; follow-up support needs to be provided to both hosts and guests; move-on plans must be put in place; and there needs to be a fallback for the rare situations in which a placement does not work out.

“Do you understand these concerns, and can Welsh families wishing to be part of a more holistic approach register their interest instead with local authorities, with Welsh-based charities or the Welsh Government?”

In reply Mark Drakeford said, he not only understood but that he shared many of those concerns.

He said “I can confirm for the Member, because I had a letter overnight from Michael Gove in which he confirms that people coming from Ukraine will have recourse to public funds, will have access to public services and will be entitled to work.”

The First Minister added that he worried that the UK scheme “relies entirely on individuals to find one another. And as I understand it, should somebody in Wales, with the generosity we know that people are displaying, find themselves matched up with somebody on the Polish border, the UK Government will issue them a visa, and then it's up to them.

“I think you just have to have a different level of public service support in place in order to make sure that the welcome we want to offer people, the success with which we want that scheme to operate, that it has the best possible chance of operating, and that's what my colleague Jane Hutt and I and others have been working hard to try to achieve alongside the UK Government.”