FAQs

How can people from Ukraine come to the UK?

The UK Government has set up two schemes to help people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine to come to the UK – the Ukraine Family Scheme, which is designed for people with family links and the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which is designed for people who do not have family ties in the UK.

How can individuals help people in Ukraine?

There are a number of ways people can help.

With many routes closed and transportation systems under significant pressure, sending physical goods could add more stress to the situation on the ground. Making cash donations, to organisations responding to the crisis in Ukraine, allows for emergency relief goods to be sourced locally. Anyone who is able to help can consider making a financial donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee.

People in Wales can sign up for the Homes for Ukraine scheme, offer to become a sponsor and offer a space in their home to someone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine to live for at least six months. People signing up to the scheme via the Homes for Ukraine website can be matched with people escaping the war in Ukraine who want to come to the UK. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people in Wales so far – thousands of people have signed up to the scheme as potential sponsors.
We are developing an online form to enable business and organisations to register offers of support for larger offers of accommodation, transport, training, language facilities and other types of support. This is will be available shortly and we will provide a further update as soon as possible.

Is the Welsh Government running a separate sponsorship scheme?

The Welsh Government is supporting the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. We will act as a super-sponsor under the scheme. This means we will sponsor up to 1,000 people from Ukraine in the first phase, but we could take more people.
People arriving via the super-sponsor route will initially come to one of the welcome centres, which are being set up around Wales and, from there, they will go on to medium and longer-term accommodation. Support services, including health services, counselling and other specialist services will be available to people arriving.

We are working closely with local authorities, public services in Wales and the third sector to support people arriving via the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

We are keen to do everything we can to avoid any intrusion and minimise further distress to people from Ukraine as they arrive in Wales and we have asked organisations and the media not to disclose the location of the welcome centres we have set up with the help of other organisations.

Wales is a Nation of Sanctuary. There is a warm welcome waiting in Wales for all those coming from Ukraine.

When will the Homes for Ukraine scheme start?

The Homes for Ukraine scheme went live on 18 March. The Welsh Government’s super-sponsorship will start from 26 March.

If you have further questions about the Homes for Ukraine scheme, please visit the UK Government’s website. If you have further questions about the Ukraine Family Scheme, please visit the UK Government’s website. Our Sanctuary website has lots of information for people arriving in Wales from Ukraine and is available in Ukrainian and other languages.