London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Homes for Ukraine: 'It's sad, slow and frustrating'

Homes for Ukraine: 'It's sad, slow and frustrating'

Families desperate to give a home to Ukrainians in need have spoken of their frustration and sadness at a process they say is too slow and bureaucratic.

One described "hours and hours and hours" of form filling, while a British businessman who is in Poland to bring a family back to England says it's taking a long time and must be quicker.

There has been an enormous groundswell of support for hosting Ukrainian refugees in homes across the UK.

But in England, families who have applied to be sponsors are complaining that the system is overly complicated and lengthy.

There is frustration that the scheme isn't dynamic enough for the immediate emergency.

Heartbreaking appeals


In Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Rebecca Lewis is hoping to emulate her grandfather who helped families fleeing Germany in World War Two.

The daffodils bursting into life on Marlow's river banks are a far cry from the thunder of shells and the lives that are ending in Ukraine.

Rebecca has rallied the community and helped to organise 30 homes for Ukrainian refugees. They have backing from local businesses and restaurants.

But, ask how many have come and it's a depressing answer. "Zero," she says.

"The Homes for Ukraine scheme is absolutely brilliant because people get to stay for three years, they get to work, they get healthcare, they get skills.

"The problem we're having is bringing all the help from Marlow together with all the refugees coming from Ukraine.

"I appreciate the process has been set up really fast. But there are some issues with the process that are blocking people being able to help these refugees fast enough."

Rebecca describes having to search on Facebook through posts of Ukrainian families pleading for help and homes.

Currently, no organisations or faith groups are allowed to sponsor refugees so it is up to individuals to act, find a family and navigate the process. A few charities are helping.

Those posts are heartbreaking as families try to appeal to those who want to help.

"Tidy with no bad habits," says one. Another says, "I have to leave the country because I have no other way to save my life", and "I can work and want to find a job after coming to you".

Some families who have submitted visa information have found the process complicated and there is no indication of how long it will take for the UK government to issue the visas.

One Ukrainian woman, who fled the country two weeks ago and submitted her application four days ago, has been told it could take up to a week - more if a visit to the visa centre is required.

Rebecca said the applications she made for 37-year-old Mariia and her children Sofia and Vladislav, currently sharing a room in Athens with seven others with no heating and running out of money, took hours and hours.

She says they then tried to help other families. "My husband wrote a document to explain the process. The document is nine pages and it's more than 2,000 words.

"And we recorded a tutorial on Zoom about how to use the process. Even just the tutorial is 40 minutes long."

She says she feels "sad and frustrated" that it's taking this long to bring people over who are obviously in need of safe refuge.

Businessman Steve McLean says it's not been easy to give help


Steve McLean from Hampshire went to Wroclaw in Poland to donate clothes to refugees but found it was homes they really needed.

So he has applied to bring a traumatised family, currently living at a refugee centre, back to the UK.

His community can also provide another 25 homes but it's not proving easy, he says.

"I'm really frustrated. We have applied for one family to come to the UK. But the visa application process has been taking a long time. So I hope they will come to the UK. We're talking to other families at the centre here, I'm putting them in touch with potential hosts."

He said a group in the UK were lobbying their MP to speed up the process. "It needs to be faster and needs to do a lot more," he says.

Steve says that when he tells people at the refugee centre he's from England, "mostly they laugh because they know England is not very good at taking refugees compared to Europe, but I hope we can change that".

He fears the family he has sponsored to come to England will now go to Germany because of the time it takes to get a visa.

There are two schemes for Ukrainians to come to the UK.

The family scheme launched more than two weeks ago for relatives of some Ukrainians already in the UK. It has received 32,500 applications - just over a third of those people have received visas so far.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme launched on Friday but no information has been given about how many visas it has issued.

The visa side is run by the Home Office while the scheme is run by the Department for Levelling Up. Those involved with the scheme are happy it is working and claim some visas have been issued but admit it's not yet running at the capacity they want.

Scotland and Wales have taken a different approach and Scotland is acting as a super sponsor, with Wales set to follow.

In Scotland, this means any Ukrainian can apply without a named sponsor and they will initially be given temporary accommodation.

The UK government said: "We are moving as quickly as possible to ensure that those fleeing horrific persecution in Ukraine can find safety in the UK, and our Homes for Ukraine scheme now allows those without family connections to come here.

"The Home Office has acted to streamline the visa application process so valid passport holders no longer have to attend in-person appointments before arriving, allowing us to welcome people faster."

But into the fourth week of war, with millions forced from their homes, only 12,400 Ukrainian refugees have been given permission to come to the UK.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
×