Joanna Rossiter

How to offer a room to a refugee

  • From Spectator Life
A child waves from the window of a bus at the Medyka border crossing, southeastern Poland, on March 14, 2022 (Getty)

Michael Gove has announced that members of the public will be able to offer rooms and accommodation to named refugees through a government portal – Homes for Ukraine – which was launched on Monday. Gove said that he was confident there would be no shortage of people coming forward, although he gave a somewhat roundabout answer as to whether he himself would be hosting a refugee. The British public, however, appear to be very open to becoming hosts, with one in three saying they would offer a room, according to a poll conducted by The Observer.

When Gove launched the scheme in the House of Commons yesterday, Lisa Nandy was quick to criticise the government’s policy of asking volunteers to name Ukrainians who they wished to host. Many potential volunteers might discount themselves due to not knowing any Ukrainians. But the Chair of the government’s Adoption and Special Guardianship leadership board Krish Kandiah, whose charity website sanctuaryfoundation.org.uk

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