In the United Kingdom, A Plan To Provide Homes For Refugees From Ukraine Has Begun

In the first five hours after the government established its Homes for Ukraine website for those interested in hosting a refugee, 43,800 people signed up.

Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Housing and Communities, said the UK had a tradition of "helping the most vulnerable through their darkest hours."

He stated that the number of Ukrainians who could enter the UK through the visa sponsorship scheme would be unlimited.

Each refugee-housing household will receive £350 per month in tax-free funds.

They will not be required to give meals or cover living expenses, but they may choose to do so.

People interested in offering a rent-free place in their house or a separate residence for at least six months can register online.

From Friday, they will be permitted to sponsor a Ukrainian national's visa on an individual basis. Those initial applications will be based on the applicant knowing a named Ukrainian individual they wish to assist.

However, Mr Gove stated that Ukrainian refugees with no family or other ties to the UK can and will be welcomed as part of the scheme.

He explained that the sponsorship plan was initially limited to persons who already knew each other in order to get it "up and running as quickly as feasible."

With the cooperation of charities, community groups, and churches, the scheme will be expanded.

There is no timetable for when this will happen, but Mr Gove stated that it will happen "rapidly."

The administration has been chastised for the pace and scope of its reaction to the refugee crisis sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including by its own MPs.

Since Vladimir Putin authorized the Russian invasion about three weeks ago, nearly three million people have fled Ukraine.

Mr Gove had stated that the scheme was open to Ukrainian nationals and residents, but his department later clarified that only Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members who had lived in the country prior to January 1 were eligible.