London, Mar 14 (PTI) The UK government on Monday launched a new Homes for Ukraine scheme, which offers the British public the chance to offer a home to refugees fleeing the conflict zone with Russia in return for a monthly fee of GBP 350.

The scheme, which had been announced over the weekend, went live for UK-based citizens to express their interest online to offer Ukrainian refugees rent-free accommodation for a minimum of six months.

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UK Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove told the House of Commons that there would be no upper limit on the number of Ukrainians who can access this scheme, which will include a right to work and claim health and other public benefits for a period of three years.

“I'm asking people across our country who can provide a home for Ukrainians to consider being sponsors,” said Gove.

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“The courage shown by the Ukrainian people in the face of devastation caused by the invasion of their great country is nothing short of remarkable. The United Kingdom has a long and proud history of helping others in their hour of need and our new Homes for Ukraine scheme offers a lifeline to those who have been forced to flee,” he said.

Phase One of the scheme will allow sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family to stay with them in their spare rooms at home or in a separate property.

A named UK-based person or family wishing to sponsor a Ukrainian individual or family can get in contact with refugees in need directly and prepare to fill in a visa application, which will go live from this Friday.

The applicants will then be vetted and undergo security checks by the UK Home Office.

The eligibility for the scheme covers Ukrainian nationals or the immediate family members of Ukrainian nationals who were resident in Ukraine prior to January 1, 2022.

Individual sponsors in the UK will be asked to provide homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay being for six months. Charities, faith groups and local community organisations will help to facilitate connections between individuals for potential sponsors who do not have a named contact, the British government said.

It is hoped tens of thousands of displaced people will benefit from the new Homes for Ukraine refugee scheme.

The Opposition Labour Party welcomed the additional scheme for refugees but questioned the DIY – or do it yourself, aspect of it, which would prove difficult for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict zone with close to nothing to their name.

“We welcome this scheme but urgently need more detail. Are we really asking desperate Ukrainians and British sponsors to find each other online, dating app-style,” questioned Lisa Nandy, Labour's Shadow Housing and Communities Secretary.

“We've known for weeks that generous Brits want to help Ukrainians fleeing war. The problem has been the government dragging its feet,” she said.

Homes for Ukraine is the second visa scheme the government has set up since the war broke out. A separate Family Scheme allows Ukrainians with an immediate or extended family member in the UK to apply for a family visa to join them. Around 4,000 visas have so far been granted through that route, the latest government figures show.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)