Homes for Ukraine helped save thousands of people. But life for Ukrainian refugees is still uncertain

When the Homes for Ukraine scheme opened on 18 March 2022, nothing could have prepared us for the scale of kindness and generosity we were about to see. Although we’d been matching hosts with those in need of a place to stay since the Syrian refugee crisis in 2016, the number of responses we received was unprecedented, with 12,000 people applying to offer their spare rooms to strangers.

Amidst this outpouring of kindness, we saw firsthand the urgency and desperation of Ukrainians seeking to escape the bullets and bombs. While many of our initial guests had a connection to the UK – having studied or worked here or knowing other Ukrainians who already called it home – others were simply looking for any country offering a place of safety.

We were proud to join many other organisations in the sector to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to put safeguards in place to protect everyone involved, but the process for participants in the Homes for Ukraine scheme had significant flaws.

Read more:

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Navigating the UK’s bureaucracy can be frustrating, even for those who have lived here their whole lives. For those fleeing war, who often don’t speak any English, applying for a visa, opening a bank account, and registering with a GP can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. A huge amount was expected from hosts to help guests find their ways around these systems.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme was set up as a rapid response to an unpredictable conflict, and difficulties were to be expected, but while many were ironed out with time, others were introduced by a Home Office that has consistently made life harder for refugees in the UK.

In February 2024, with only a couple of hours’ notice, the government removed the ability for Ukrainians in the UK to sponsor others fleeing the Russians invasion who wanted a safe place to live. This change also affected the number of people who could host in the UK, with only those who have British citizenship or settled status now being able to sponsor.

For those who had worked so hard to establish a life in the UK, cruelly snatching away the potential to be reunited with friends and relatives was a bleak precursor to the events of last autumn, when the government paused new applications for the refugee family reunion route.

Since the launch of Homes for Ukraine, over 280,000 visas have been issued but the future for those still in the UK remains unclear. We celebrated the news that the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme would be extended again, allowing those already in the UK to stay in the country for up to five and a half years, but recent, unpredictable announcements from the Home Office are a cause of serious concern. With recent discussion about changes to the route to earned settlement, creating a permanent life here will be close to impossible for those without the guarantee of a stable home. 

It’s clear to us that while the government’s commitment to those fleeing war, violence, and persecution might waver, there will always be people here ready to go above and beyond and show the best of the UK.

With the war now entering its fifth year, we, alongside our wonderful hosts and supporters, are still doing all we can to ensure those coming to the UK are met with the kindness and respect they deserve.

Throughout 2026 we’ll be celebrating Refugees at Home’s 10^th anniversary. In that time, we’ve matched 7,500 guests from over 100 countries with our brilliant community of hosts. Through far-right violence, hostile Home Office policies, and an ever-changing political landscape, our hosts are proof that there will always be people ready to offer a warm welcome to those who need it.

As the war in Ukraine continues, so too does the need for more hosts. We know that there is power in our local communities, and we’d urge anyone looking for a direct way to help refugees, wherever they’re from, to consider opening their home.

In the words of Ihor, one of our Ukrainian guests: “Three years ago we’d never met our host but now we’re like family. We need to help each other because we are all living on the same planet. We are all human.”

Carly Whyborn is chief operating officer at Refugees at Home.

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