Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Government launched the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Under the scheme, people in the UK can act as sponsors for Ukrainian nationals and their families who are seeking refuge from the war. Individuals can be granted three-year visas to stay in the UK, with full access to public services, benefits, and other support.
Since the scheme was set up in March 2022, 131,000 Ukrainians were successfully supported to arrive in the UK with £2.1bn in funding. A National Audit Office (NAO) report on the scheme found that, while Government gave early consideration to the risks of the scheme and put in place structures to manage them, there are still challenges to overcome, including the risk of homelessness. The report further found that the visas for the first Ukrainians to arrive under the scheme will expire in Spring 2025, and that it is unclear whether Government intends to extend existing three-year visas.
Based on the NAO report, the Committee will take evidence from senior officials from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Home Office, on subjects including:
- The objectives of the scheme and how it was set up;
- Arrival numbers and checks conducted on applicants and sponsors;
- Funding provided for the scheme;
- Challenges and future risks.
If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by 23:59 on Sunday 12 November 2023.
Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere.
The Committee cannot investigate individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, it may be better to contact your constituency MP.