More than 1,000 refugees issued visas via Welsh sponsor as part of Homes for Ukraine scheme

More than a thousand people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine have been successfully sponsored by someone living in Wales.

Home Office figures up to April 19 show that 1,110 visas have been issued to Ukrainians with Welsh sponsors as part of the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme.

The initiative provides a way for Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor here.

A further 390 visas have been issued so far where the Welsh Government has acted as a super sponsor.

Ukrainians trying to escape the war who have family in the UK can also apply for visas via the Ukraine Family Scheme, which allows applicants to join relatives or extend their stay in the UK.

Cardiff is the Welsh local authority with the largest amount of visas issued to people with sponsors there, at 128. Pembrokeshire has the second most at 94 and Swansea is third with 84.

There have been visas issued via sponsorship applications from every Welsh local authority but Blaenau Gwent currently sits at the bottom of the list with less than five.

Across the UK, so far nearly 40,000 visas have been issued under the sponsorship scheme - of which 6,600 applicants have already arrived in the UK.

In March, Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart announced that there had been 10,236 expressions of interest from people in Wales in the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Sponsors receive a £350 'thank you' payment every month under the programme, which was set up more than a month ago as a way for those without family ties in the UK to seek safety here.