One in ten Ukrainian refugees in Scotland stuck in temporary accommodation

A cruise ship used to house Ukrainian visitors in Leith was scrapped earlier this month

One in ten Ukrainian refugees who have moved to Scotland to flee the Russian invasion are stuck in temporary accommodation such as hotel rooms, new figures have revealed.

Data obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats found 3,535 Ukrainians are living in temporary “welcome accommodation” such as a hotel, 14 per cent of the 25,155 who are in Scotland on the Homes for Ukraine visa.

This is despite accommodation on board the Leith cruise ship coming to an end – and all refugees living there rehoused – and no new visas being issued for more than a year, following the suspension of the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme last summer.

The MS Victoria cruise ship in Leith harbour housed refugees for a year.

The scheme, which allowed Ukrainians to name the Scottish Government as their sponsor for a UK Government Homes for Ukraine visa, rather than find an individual host, put the onus on the authorities to find temporary accommodation for refugees after their arrival. Many were put up in hotels until a more permanent solution could be found. However, many people found themselves in temporary accommodation for months.

The initiative was paused, initially for three months, in July last year, to allow the Government to catch up with a backlog of new arrivals and match them to long-term accommodation. Earlier this month, the Scottish Government’s contract with Forth Ports ended and all Ukrainian refugees living on the Leith cruise ship were disembarked.

Liberal Democrat leader Alex Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “More than one in ten of those who reached Scotland are still stuck in temporary accommodation.Now that Ukrainians have disembarked the cruise ship at Leith, the Scottish Government should be doing everything in its power to help them find suitable permanent housing. Instead, it seems that people are being sent from one limbo to another, with thousands still living out of suitcases.

“The big promises of Scottish ministers were never matched by giving local authorities the necessary resources to vet volunteer hosts or find appropriate housing.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton added: “I am concerned that unless the new minister for migration takes urgent action to help local authorities, many of these families and individuals will be trapped in further uncertainty, unable to get on with their lives.”

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Almost 1,200 long-term homes are being brought back into use for those fleeing war in Ukraine from our Longer-Term Resettlement Fund, which is making up to £50 million available to Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords to improve empty and unused properties.

“Our priority is to support everyone who remains in welcome accommodation to access longer-term housing and ensure new arrivals can be safely accommodated. The current number of displaced people from Ukraine in welcome accommodation has more than halved since November 2022.”

She added: “We also recently completed the safe disembarkation of the MS Victoria ahead of the contract end on 11 July, with all guests supported into onward accommodation where required.

“We continue to work closely with local authorities to help displaced people secure longer-term housing, including making full use of existing and new volunteer hosts, social housing and supporting access to viable private rental options.”