Over 6,000 Ukrainian refugee families in the UK seek Red Cross aid as homeless

More than 6,000 Ukrainian refugee families in the UK have reached out to the Red Cross seeking assistance for them as homeless. This marks a 13% increase compared to the previous year, prompting the British Red Cross to urge authorities for increased funding to prevent families from facing homelessness during the winter, as reported by The Guardian.

This year, 6,220 families have expressed an inability to afford housing in Britain and have sought help for homelessness. Nearly 5,000 of these families are projected to encounter “severe forms of homelessness,” including living on the streets, temporary stays with acquaintances or residing in hostels.

Ukrainian refugee families are four times more likely than other families in Britain to face the risk of losing shelter and becoming homeless, according to a joint report by the Red Cross and Heriot-Watt University. The report calls upon the British government and local communities to increase funding for Ukrainian families who have arrived in the country.

Presently, over 192,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK through two primary state programs: Homes for Ukraine, where British families host refugees and the Ukraine Family Scheme, allowing Ukrainians to reunite with family members settled in the UK.