The funding provided to Local Authorities and to those sponsoring refugees fleeing from the Ukrainian war will come to an end in March 2023.

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley has written to the new Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, urging her to take immediate action, and put provisions and support in place so that thousands of refugees do not become homeless.

As the war in Ukraine broke out, hundreds of people across Sheffield and thousands across the country opened their homes to take in people that were fleeing the war.

Many opened their homes under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, but as funding for local authorities and sponsors comes to an end early next year, it is feared that many of these sponsorship arrangements could breakdown, especially as more and more people struggle with rising cost-of-living.

It was overwhelming how generous people were when the war broke out in Ukraine. People opened their homes in their droves and welcomed those fleeing the war. There is a real worry now that as people are forced to pay rising energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis really hits everyone, we will begin to see these sponsorship arrangements breakdown – leaving refugees homeless, or that more and more sponsors will face greater financial difficulty.

I have been contacted by people who have fled the war and by members of the Ukrainian community asking for urgent action to be taken and clarity to be sought from the government about what will happen after March 2023. This cannot be a last-minute decision by the government, as we have seen for many other funding decisions.

It is our responsibility as a nation to support those who have sought sanctuary in this country. The impacts of the war in Ukraine will be far reaching and long-term and we need to ensure that support we provide matches the need.