Refugees from Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine using:
- missiles
- airstrikes
- and ground invasion
The war was described by the UN as the fastest growing crisis since World War II and Europe’s largest refugee crisis since then.
In the first week of the invasion, the UN reported over a million refugees had fled Ukraine and an ongoing refugee crisis began in Europe.
By June 2022, nearly 7.9 million refugees were recorded to have fled Ukraine across Europe. An estimated 8 million people have been displaced within Ukraine itself.
Over 300 households in Cornwall have so far opened their homes to provide a place of sanctuary for over 900 Ukrainians, and we are always looking for more hosts.
Homes for Ukraine scheme (HFU)
The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched by the Government on 14 March 2022. The uncapped scheme enables a host in the UK to nominate
- a named Ukrainian
- or a named Ukrainian family
to stay with them in their home or allow them to offer a separate property.
Hosts are asked to provide homes or a spare room rent-free (ideally for a minimum of 6 months) and are entitled to receive a ‘thank you’ payment from the Government facilitated by the Resettlement Service.
Local Authorities are responsible for support such as:
- Registering children with local schools
- Accessing Health and Care support services
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes
- Giving advice and referring guests to mental health services and to specialist services if needed
- Advising on how to access local Jobcentre Plus services and explaining what their role is
Find more information about sponsorship on the Government website
View our support information in our information area
In February 2024, the government announced that people already resettled via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme are entitled to a further 18 month visa. This means Ukrainian refugees already resettled via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme are now entitled to a maximum visa period of 4 years and 6 months.
Any new arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme will only be eligible for an 18 month visa.
Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES)
On 29 March 2022 the Ukraine Extension Scheme was announced to Parliament as part of a series of changes to the Immigration Rules. This became one of the 3 Ukraine schemes, alongside the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.
The Ukraine Extension Scheme enables Ukrainian nationals already permitted to stay in the UK by 16 May 2023 to continue their stay in the UK.
Applicants to the Ukraine Extension Scheme must be Ukrainian nationals, or immediate family members of a Ukrainian national.
Successful applicants are able to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds.
Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS)
The Ukraine Family Scheme allowed applicants to join family members, or extend their stay, in the UK. It launched on 4 March 2022 and closed to new applications on 19 February 2024.
The scheme was available to those Ukrainians (and immediate family members) that are: family members of British nationals, settled persons and others in the UK.
Successful applicants are able to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds for up to 3 years.
Refugees from Afghanistan
After the withdrawal from Afghanistan of British and US armed forces and the Taliban’s ascent to power in the summer of 2021, the number of forcibly displaced Afghans rose steeply. The UN estimates that from 1 January to 20 October 2021, 677,000 people were newly displaced inside Afghanistan.
As part of the international response to this crisis, the UK government announced programmes to evacuate and resettle Afghan refugees in the UK.
Operation Pitting was a British military operation to evacuate British Nationals and eligible Afghans. It was the largest British evacuation since the Second Word War and the largest airlift since the Berlin Blockade of 1948-9.
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
On 1 April 2021 the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) launched.
This offers relocation or other assistance to those who served alongside our armed forces in Afghanistan. They will have provided important support to HM government defence and security missions. Predominantly those who were:
- employed directly
- or in certain special cases via contractors,
- and who are assessed to be at serious risk as a result of such work
It is available to people regardless of:
- rank
- role
- or length of time served
and builds on the long-standing support already available.
The policy provides for the principal applicant to bring their close family members (spouse and under 18 children) to the UK. It significantly expands the eligibility criteria from the previous scheme.
Other family members may be eligible in exceptional circumstances.
Local Authorities can receive funding to provide 3 years of support including:
- direct casework support
- a minimum of 8 hours per week English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes for 12 months to all adults resettled via this scheme
Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) details
Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) (including eligible British Nationals)
ACRS scheme will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to settle in the UK.
It will prioritise Afghan citizens who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values such as:
- democracy
- women’s rights
- freedom of speech and rule of law
- vulnerable people such as women and girls at risk
- members of minority groups (including ethnic / religious minorities and LGBTQ+)
“Eligible British Nationals” are those who:
a) were evacuated from Afghanistan by UK military, other NATO countries or regional state during Operation Pitting between April and August 2021
or
b) were assisted by the UK Government to leave Afghanistan after Operation Pitting and before 6 January 2022
and their
- spouses
- partners
- and dependent children under the age of 18
Other family members may be eligible in exceptional circumstances.
Unaccompanied children may be offered resettlement under the ACRS where it is determined that resettlement to the UK is:
- in their best interests
- and they have been identified as eligible for the scheme.
Local Authorities can receive funding to provide 3 years of support including:
- direct casework support
- a minimum of 8 hours per week English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes for 12 months to all adults resettled via this scheme
The Scheme is not application-based, and eligible individuals are prioritised through one of three referral pathways.
Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme policy details
Local Authority Housing Fund
The UK Government has provided specific funding for Cornwall Council to buy houses for resettling Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.
After the houses have been used for this purpose, they will be added to Cornwall’s social housing stock to help residents in need.
Since 2020 the Government has paid for 42 houses in Cornwall for refugees through the Local Authority Housing Fund. (LAHF). Funds were received in two grants known as LAHF and LAHF 2.
- Cornwall Council Cabinet approved the Strategic Housing Team's first application for LAHF in February 2023, and were awarded funding of £3,630,000.
- Cornwall Council Cabinet approved the Strategic Housing Team's second application for LAHF 2 in November 2023, and were awarded funding of £2,640,000.
The total funding received under the two LAHF schemes is £6,270,000. LAHF 2 also includes provision of Temporary Accommodation to help tackle Cornwall's housing crisis.
Hong Kong Nationals Scheme
The UK Government opened an immigration route for some Hong Kong residents on 31st January 2021. This provides British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders from Hong Kong and their eligible dependents with the opportunity to come to the UK to:
- live
- study
- and work
on a pathway to citizenship.
This route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up British National Overseas status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997.
Applicants can apply to stay in the UK for either 2.5 years or 5 years.
Why is the government providing funding for a BN(O) UK Welcome Programme?
Previous programmes run by Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have demonstrated the importance of putting in place a support package for new migrants. This enables them to settle into their new communities more effectively.
Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities is also currently undertaking work to support those from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
If new migrants can
- integrate with the settled community
- speak English
- use services
- and be economically active
this significantly reduces pressures on local services. Including housing where people are at risk of destitution. It also minimises negative impacts on community cohesion.
Asylum Cases
An asylum seeker is a person who has left their home country as a refugee and is seeking asylum in another. Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution.
The Home Office is responsible for accommodating people seeking asylum in the UK. In 2023 the Home Office temporarily housed some asylum seekers in Newquay. There are currently no asylum seekers living in Cornwall.
Types of accommodation
Elsewhere in the UK, the government uses a variety of accommodation to house asylum seekers:
- emergency accommodation
- dispersal or bridging accommodation
- intermediate accommodation
Information about asylum accommodation can be found through these links:
Asylum accommodation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asylum hotel summary and FAQ - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asylum seekers will normally be able to stay in dispersal accommodation until their asylum claim has been fully determined.
When an asylum claim (including any appeals) has been fully determined, asylum seekers will need to leave asylum accommodation. Home Office support will also stop. If granted leave to remain, an asylum seeker is recognised as a refugee and will be eligible to:
- work
- claim mainstream benefits
- look for housing
and get help with these in the same ways as other UK residents.
