Financial help for Ukraine refugee homes

It follows Policy & Resource’s decision to support Home Affairs in enhancing the existing scheme.

The payments will bring the Bailiwick in line with similar schemes in the UK and the Isle of Man.

A monthly payment of £349 per sponsor, will be paid for a maximum of 12 months. It will be administered through Employment & Social Security’s income support scheme.

Nearly 300 people registered their interest in becoming a sponsor when the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme was introduced in May and there is also a family scheme.

But currently just16 Ukrainians have settled in Guernsey, four being accommodated under the scheme. The remainder live with family members.

There are 28 confirmed sponsors who have been through, or are going through, the due diligence and safeguarding process, after follow-up enquiries were made with potentially suitable sponsors who initially expressed an interest in taking part in the scheme.

It is hoped that this financial assistance will encourage others to step forward and will also help those individuals who are already helping to make the scheme a success.

Home Affairs president Deputy Rob Prow said yesterday marked the Ukraine’s Independence Day.

‘With that in mind, we are pleased to have received support from P&R for us to now provide financial assistance for islanders partaking in the sponsorship scheme,’ he said.

‘This move puts us in line with the similar schemes in the UK and the Isle of Man and will hopefully allow us to offer more accommodation for potential refugees from Ukraine.

‘As the indefensible Russian invasion of the country continues, it becomes more important than ever that we continue to support the Ukrainian cause, and do not start to suffer complacency when it comes to dealing with this humanitarian crisis.

‘I am pleased that we have made another step forward in that support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those individuals within the community who have already become an approved sponsor.’