Exclusive:The 5,500 Ukrainians issued 'use it or lose it' letter over right to take refuge in Scotland
The ‘Permission to Travel’ documents were issued in the early days of the war
Around 5,500 Ukrainians have been given a deadline of next month to enter Scotland - or lose their right to take refuge under the Scottish Government's Super Sponsor scheme.
The Home Office has written to holders of a "Permission to Travel" document with the Scottish Government as their sponsor who have not yet entered Scotland. The documents were issued in the early days of the Russian invasion before Ukrainians had the right to apply directly for a visa from their home country or elsewhere to live in the UK
Those letter holders who have the right to arrive in Scotland under the scheme, have to do so by February 13. About 6,000 others, who were issued a Homes for Ukraine visa directly from the country they were in under the Super Sponsor scheme, do not have a deadline on their arrival date.
Ukrainians affected by the deadline are those who chose not to immediately take up the offer to live in Scotland. Some may have opted to stay in Ukraine, or moved to another safe country elsewhere. A total of 21,459 Ukrainians have arrived in Scotland since the start of the war, sponsored by the Scottish Government, with an additional 6,678 sponsored by individuals.
The Scottish Super Sponsor scheme was launched in March 2022 as part of the UK’s Homes for Ukraine visa route. But it was suspended four months later in a bid to clear the backlog of refugees living in hotel accommodation - and was never re-started.
Lauded as a safer and easier alternative to the system set up by the UK government, the scheme allowed refugees from Ukraine to list the Scottish Government as their sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine route, rather than having to find an individual sponsor by contacting strangers through social media before applying.
Charities had initially feared the move could lead to a wave of Ukrainians arriving in Scotland in the coming month. However, it appears few have so far rushed to meet the deadline. It is believed UK Border Control in Edinburgh has not seen anyone arrive with a Permission to Travel letter since November.
However, Ewan Aitken, chief executive of homelessness charity Cyrenians, warned an influx of refugees would be among those “adversely affected” by the ongoing housing emergency.
He said: “Scotland has long prided itself on being on being a welcoming place for refugees and it’s imperative that we maintain this standard of welcome. Those fleeing conflict deserve – and need – a safe and comfortable place to stay.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “There is no evidence that thousands of people are about to travel to Scotland. These permissions to travel were largely granted a long time ago and it is not anticipated that the vast majority now have any intention to use them.”
The spokesperson added: “Instead, many will have remained in Ukraine and some will have already settled in other countries. We are, of course, monitoring the situation closely and working with councils and the UK government to support any that do travel.”
The Home Office website states: “We have provided advanced notice to applicants who have been issued with a Permission To Travel (PTT) letter, but not yet travelled to the UK, to ensure that any individual who wishes to use it has the opportunity to do so before restrictions take effect.
“Any applicants who have not travelled to the UK when the restrictions take effect will be informed that their PTT letters can no longer be used.”
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