International

UK plans monetary compensation for those who open their home to Ukrainian refugees

Published

11 months ago

March 14, 2022

Over 3,000 visas for Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia have already been processed in the UK. Tens of thousands more are expected and any Brit who opens their home to refugees may receive monetary compensation.

The “scheme to get people in the UK to house Ukrainian refugees in their spare rooms will be launched on Monday and people could start hosting in a week’s time” reports Sky News. Michael Gove, the housing and levelling up secretary in charge of the refugee scheme on Sunday.

Gove told sky news that Ukrainian refugees could come to the UK and “For each individual who comes, just over £10,000 per individual will be available to local authorities” said Gove. “And then there’ll be additional payments for those children who are of school age and need to be accommodated within the education system” he said.

Those taking part in the campaign called “Homes for Ukraine” will receive £350-a-month as a “thank you” from the government. Individuals interested in offering up their homes and spare rooms can register for the program beginning Monday.

“Matching will be taking place from Friday” said Gove. “I would expect that in a week’s time we’ll see the first people coming here under the scheme” he added. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is supportive, but skeptical of the measure.

“Those plans just need to be in place now” said Starmer. “I’d have more comfort if there was a solid plan on the table – local authority leaders are saying they haven’t been consulted yet…they’re ready to put the support in, housing providers need to be involved in this. I want to see a concrete plan on the ground” he said.

Starmer referenced the recent crisis with Afghan refugees saying, “what I saw in the summer [with Afghanistan refugees] was you need language experts, experts with traumatized families, you need experts who can help them contact their relatives back in the country they’ve just fled from.”

Featured

Trump: Tanks to Ukraine could escalate to use of ‘NUKES’

Published

2 days ago

January 26, 2023

Alexander Carter

Former President Donald Trump stated bluntly on Truth Social, “FIRST COME THE TANKS, THEN COME THE NUKES. Get this crazy war ended, NOW. So easy to do!”

Trump was referring to the escalation of war in Ukraine. He, like many other commentators and lawmakers, are warning that the decision to continue sending weapons – and now tanks – could potentially lead to the use of “nuclear weapons.”

It’s mission creep and it’s dangerous, they say.

Why? Because Russian President Valdimir Putin has indicated in two different speeches that he would use nuclear weapons to defend Russia, if needed. Those warnings are not just bluster but a very real possibility.

And the escalation of war is visible.

Russia launched 55 missiles strikes across Ukraine Thursday, leaving 11 dead. The strikes come one day after the United States and Germany agreed to send tanks to Ukraine in an effort to aide the country. 47 of the 55 missiles were shot down according to Ukraine’s Air Force command.

Eleven lives were lost and another 11 were injured additionally leaving 35 buildings damaged in the wake of the attacks. According to The New York Times, Denys Shmyhal, said in a post on Telegram. “The main goal is energy facilities, providing Ukrainians with light and heat,” he said.

Ukraine is now demanding that they need F-16 fighter jets. In a post on twitter Ukrainian lawmaker, Oleksiy Goncharenko said, “Missiles again over Ukraine. We need F16.”

Morning. Missiles again over Ukraine. We need F16.

— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) January 26, 2023

The US has abstained from sending advanced jets in the chances that a volatile decision could foster more dangerous attacks like former President Trump’s post on Truth referred to. If the US did authorize the decision to lend Ukraine the F-16 jets Netherlands’ foreign minister, Wopke Hoekstra, would be willing to supply them. According to The New York Times, Hoekstra told Dutch lawmakers, “We are open-minded… There are no taboos.”

F-16 fighter jets are complex to work on, they are not the average aircraft that can be learned in a matter of weeks. It can take months for pilots to learn how to fly these birds. European and US officials have the concern that Ukrainian forces could potentially use the jets to fly into Russian airspace and launch attacks on Russian soil.

Western allies are trying to avoid such a provocation, because that could lead to nuclear warfare in reference to what Putin has said he would do to defend his country.