Quakers work to house more refugees
Seventeen-year-old boy from Ukraine 'desperate to get to UK, but parents are fighting so he needs to come as an unaccompanied minor'.
Quakers have been asked if they can sponsor a seventeen-year-old boy from Ukraine. A trusteee of the Friend, Peter Kennedy from Aberdeen Meeting, put out the call in the Edinburgh Quaker newsletter Terrace Talk. He said: ‘I have been asked by a friend of mine, Debra Storr, to see if any Quaker or their friends may be able to assist. Debra is in correspondence with a 17-year-old Ukrainian lad. Desperate to get to UK, but parents are fighting so he needs to come as an unaccompanied minor.’
Peter Kennedy said that they are looking for a sponsor such as a teacher or social worker who already has an enhanced disclosure check. Interested people can contact Debra on debrastorr@googlemail.com.
The Home Office has been criticised because just one in five of those issued visas under the Homes for Ukraine scheme had arrived in the UK by 28 April. This means that just 11,000 people had made it to Britain, whereas other European countries have accepted hundreds of thousands.
Rabbi Jonathan Romain, who suggested a ‘Ukrainetransport’ based on the Kindertransport used in the lead-up to the second world war, said that the complex system had made the process challenging. He said: ‘If you did manage to secure a Ukrainian guest, then well done in having both the patience and the skill to navigate the complex bureaucratic process needed. I found that while many successful hosts went via a refugee charity, a high percentage did it themselves and linked up with a Ukrainian individual or family via social media… If, however, you are currently stuck in the process, then I wish you much perseverance.’
The rabbi also highlighted ways that people can assist hosts. This includes: ‘giving lifts to their guests, helping with outings or using any skills you have (teaching English, counselling, helping with paperwork to get a bank account, apply for Universal Credit or register with a local surgery), doing shopping… There are hundreds of local support groups in towns across the country whom you could contact via their website or Facebook page.’
He added that the response had been ‘remarkable’.
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