BROMSGROVE homeowners preparing to welcome Ukrainian refugees have said the process is “frustrating”.
Melanie and Graeme Stewart are among 150,000 people across the UK that have registered to host Ukrainian refugees in their homes.
The couple is looking to host either an adult and two small children or an elderly couple.
They said they just want to help as much as possible but “it’s difficult to find someone to sponsor”.
Graeme, a semi-retired doctor, said: “We are lucky we have the space to accommodate someone and it’s silly to have rooms standing empty in your house when you can put them to good use.
“The difficult thing is that you must find someone to sponsor in Ukraine. It’s quite a bit of spadework.
“I put out a message on my Twitter asking if anyone can help and one gentleman has sent me the addresses of the agencies that are dealing with Ukrainian refugees. I am waiting to hear back. I hope they will be helpful.
Graeme, aged 60 and Melanie, aged 59 said they do have some concerns over the process once refugees are in the country.
“My fear is that the government is making all the right noises but there are going to be things like background and safeguarding checks that will be getting in the way with the huge amount of people that are set to come into the UK,” said Melanie.
“It’s frustrating and upsetting that you cannot push the process forward.
“We just want to provide someone with a safe home.”
Sylvia Shaw is also among those that are set to welcome Ukrainian refugees.
However, Sylvia has managed to find a Ukrainian to sponsor through a Facebook group.
“I joined a Facebook group called ‘Accommodation, Help and Shelter for Ukraine’ and I saw a young girl posting her personal details, desperate for help,” said Sylvia.
“I sent her a private message warning her to be careful about posting her details and she asked me to sponsor her.”
Anastasiia is 17 years old and has been studying in Kyiv during her first year of medical school.
She is currently residing with her brother in Poland, but the space is not feasible for both to live there.
Sylvia, aged 58, said Anastasiia doesn’t have a visa, so is attempting to obtain one which is proving difficult.
“The visa process is ridiculous - there were pages of forms that she had to fill out which she couldn’t understand,” said Sylvia.
“I helped her and filled it out for her but what about if people didn’t have access to help?
“She cannot get an appointment in Warsaw at the visa centre and until she does, she cannot come to the UK.
“The government has not made the process easy; they should have made it easier for Ukrainians to come to the UK by allowing them to bypass the visa process and provide their ID card instead.
“Anastasiia ran away from Ukraine with just a backpack on her back. I just want to help her.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office said they have made the visa process quicker and simpler for Ukrainians to come to the UK.
“We have also expanded capacity at our Visa Application Centres to 13,000 appointments per week across Europe to help those without their documentation,” said the spokesperson.
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