On 24 February 2022 we witnessed the start of the war in Ukraine and the desperate migration of Ukrainians seeking sanctuary. The UK was the only European nation not to provide a visa-free entry path to Ukrainians and instead provided six-month placements.
The placements made it possible for “refugees [to be] matched with sponsors who agreed to house them for six months and were paid £350 a month.” There has been no word from the government on renewal of these packages or additional aid. The struggle of Ukrainian refugees is continuing but without a clear government policy going forward. Now, the UK has a new Prime Minister (PM), Rishi Sunak. How will he tackle the refugee housing emergency? Rishi Sunak was appointed the UK’s new PM (after being chosen to lead by the Conservative Party) on 25 October 2022. Sunak’s immigration policy follows trends of previous Conservative leaders, with a far more restricted approach than previously, denying entry to most asylum seekers without proper documentation. Based on the precedent of stringent laws being put into effect, such as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, it seems as though the new PM will not make this issue a priority. Section 13, subsection 3 of the Act refers to the amendment of section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which in turn refers “to the power to provide, or arrange for the provision of, accommodation under this section as it applies to the power to do so under section 95.” This grants the government the power to accommodate emergency response actions to immigration matters that they perceive as a priority. However, in lieu of prioritisation, many asylum seekers are now facing the threat of being sent back to their war-torn country or another ‘safe’ country. It is worth noting here that Sunak has previously supported the plan articulated by the incumbent and previous Home Secretaries, to send asylum seekers without appropriate documentation to Rwanda. Is this a ‘safe’ country? Moreover, he has previously voiced his disapproval of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and believes there are other ways in which the government can assist, but refrained from providing any specifics. This begs the question – how much, if at all, can we expect the new PM to help the 83,900 Ukrainian refugees currently in the UK? President Zelensky joined other world leaders in congratulating the new PM, referring to the “strategic partnership” between the UK and Ukraine. A partnership which has made the UK the “second largest military donor to Ukraine, committing £2.3bn in 2022. Some consideration needs to be given to the balance between protection of Ukrainian citizens abroad and domestic Ukrainian needs.
The safeguarding of UK domestic citizens is also a priority in the UK as Britons have faced the death of its Monarch, an economic crisis, and not one, but two new Prime Ministers in a few months. The UK is facing a national housing and energy crisis that is affecting most UK citizens and which is likely to lead to increased homelessness and poverty across the nation. Amidst all this, some participating in the six-month placements can no longer afford to help Ukrainian refugees without government assistance. Mayor Khan provided some hope for resolution by calling the Government to take action to support stranded refugees, but ministers have refused to offer extended or new packages. As a result of the current domestic situation in the UK, is it any wonder the Ukrainian situation has been put on the back burner, if not forgotten altogether?
If you are a UK constituent, and you want and are able to help, here are some suggestions from the Ukrainian Institute London:
Please note these action points are not seen as the solution but a helping hand to address some of the many issues.
Joseph Saker and Alejandra Gomez LimonFirst year LLB students at Queen Mary University of London