Pausing the program will ensure that those evacuees already here, and those arriving in the coming months, will be safe, secure and supported for as long as they need, following the dangers they faced at home. the government statement said. So far, 4,666 out of a total of 7,000 Ukrainians who have arrived in Scotland have done so under the “super-grant scheme”, which started on 18 March. The country expects to welcome an extra 18,000 people in the coming months, meaning it will have issued more visas than England, Wales and Northern Ireland per head of population. If the numbers continue at this rate, local authorities may have to resort to emergency accommodation, which the government said was “not a viable solution” and would fall short of the “warm Scottish welcome” they sought to offer the injured and vulnerable people. The Scottish Government has asked the UK Government to lift all visa requirements. Under the scheme – which is due to be shelved on Wednesday – those applying for UK visas can choose the Scottish Government as a sponsor. Only when the UK Home Office approves the application can the refugee travel to Scotland. As of July 5, government figures show that visa applications listing Scotland as a sponsor were up 21% on the previous week, with visas issued up 27% and arrivals under the sponsor scheme up 20 %. With numbers expected to rise, the Scottish Government has secured extra accommodation in hotels and university campuses and recently chartered a passenger ship to provide additional temporary accommodation with 739 rooms for six months from July. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST North Lanarkshire Council also announced plans to restore two blocks of flats, previously slated for demolition, to house Ukrainian refugees. The council said 200 homes would be available for use in six weeks. “I know the people of North Lanarkshire will welcome those facing such an uncertain time with their usual warmth and generosity and I’m delighted we can move quickly to help,” said Jordan Linden, Leader of North Lanarkshire Council. Scotland’s announcement comes after the Welsh Government halted a similar scheme on June 10. Scotland’s three-month pause will not affect the almost 18,000 prospective sponsors who have yet to arrive, the government said. The UK government’s Homes for Ukraine program – which matches refugees with families in England – has been plagued by a number of problems. In May, it was revealed that the government was trying to house hundreds of Ukrainians who had been granted visas under the program because the people they were supposed to be staying with had been deemed “unsuitable”. Neil Gray, a Scottish minister with special responsibility for Ukrainian refugees, said the temporary pause was something “obviously we didn’t want” but would ensure Scotland continued to “provide the welcome that people from Ukraine deserve” .
