Published: 9 August 2022
Last updated: 5 March 2024
CAROLINE BAUM reports on a charity program that has seen 12,000 British citizens put up their hands to take in Ukrainian families fleeing the Russian invasion and help them make a new start.
When the war in Ukraine began, more than 100,000 Britons promptly signed up to their government's Homes for Ukraine program, of whom 12,000 followed up with Refugees At Home charity. It was a positive demonstration of concern from a country that is increasingly harsh in its immigration policy. But in this instance, the humanitarian principle prevailed - just as it did during World War II, when Kindertransport saved the lives of thousands of unaccompanied children.
That lineage persists: one of Refugees at Home’s Patrons is Lord Dubs, who came to the UK on Kindertransport from the former Czechoslovakia aged six and has been a figurehead of safe passage for unaccompanied minors as a Labour MP and peer.
Hosts are not paid or subsidised in any way. The minimum stay they can offer is six months.
My friend Louise Kaye registered. A former magistrate, Louise is Jewish, and has a strong memory of her own family fleeing pogroms and war in the past two centuries. Her businessman husband David came from a family with similar heritage and a strong tradition of philanthropy.
Before he died of complications from early onset Parkinsons disease two years ago, David had discussed his desire to host a Syrian refugee in their West London home with Louise.
Unsurprisingly, they were assessed as suitable. Their large and comfortable home was ideal, with a bright, warm self-contained top floor flat close to shops, a park and public transport. They were used to a regular stream of impoverished music students as tenants.
"Once we had talked, I named them as the family I wanted to host. Three weeks later they had their visa."
But, freshly widowed, Louise felt too vulnerable to contemplate having a stranger in her house. She needed more time. Now re-partnered, she was ready to help and contacted Refugees at Home again.
Teething troubles meant that the scheme got off to a slow start, encumbered by red tape. Several high-profile hosts, including British Bake-Off judge Dame Prue Leith, vented their frustration in the media.
Meanwhile, friends told Louise about a Ukrainian woman and her children who were waiting in Poland to be resettled. Louise contacted them via WhatsApp.
“I made sure to call with my partner Clare, so they could see that I was with a woman. They had to be comfortable with the fact that I was gay,” says Louise. The question of her being Jewish never came up.
Mother Svitlana Sabri was a pianist, and very happy to hear that Louise had a piano at home and hosted house concerts. She spoke no English but her 17-year-old son Timur spoke it well enough to interpret between the two women, as did his older sister Karina, a professional photographer.
“Once we had talked, I named them as the family I wanted to host. Three weeks later they had their visa.”
Once their travel was arranged, Louise offered to meet them on arrival, but the Sabris insisted on taking the tube and arriving at her front door. (All public transport for refugees is free for the first 48 hours of their stay, to help them navigate their whereabouts and familiarise themselves with their new neighbourhood).
"Within weeks Timur told us that he did not want to go home, whereas Svitlana wants to return as soon as the war ends."
“They didn’t have much luggage, having left in a hurry,” says Louise. “Of course, the first thing we did was have a cup of tea. We sat in the garden. They had been thoughtful enough to bring pastries. In the evening I cooked dinner for them. Subsequently they got free vouchers to shop at Sainsbury’s downloaded to their phones - worth £200 per person - so that lasts them quite a long time.
Now they cook upstairs in their own kitchen.
“The thing that surprised them most was that it did not rain every day!”
A woman with superior skills when it comes to bureaucracy, Louise helped them navigate the complexities of life administration, including the difficult process of opening a bank account, as well as registering with a local GP.
“The easiest part was getting Timur settled into the local school. Latymer Private offered him a bursary and provided him with a laptop. He’s studying maths, physics and music to be a sound engineer and he’s blitzing it. Within weeks he told us that he did not want to go home, whereas Svitlana wants to return as soon as the war ends.”
What will happen when their three-year visas expire is anyone’s guess.
Svitlana left behind her father, her husband (ironically, an Afghan who fled to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of his country) and older son and speaks to them daily in Kyiv. Fortunately, none are fighting on the frontline, but work in essential and protected services.
In a matter of months, Svitlana’s English has improved dramatically thanks to free classes provided by the government, regular practice with Louise, usually while walking the dog, together with access to the NHS and other benefits.
“Next, she needs a job,” says Louise, who has arranged casual work for her accompanying singers during music lessons.
Timur is taking advantage of London’s music scene and going to concerts whenever possible. “I’ve seen such a change in him,” says Louise. “He arrived angry and is now much more relaxed.”
Also tackling the intake of Ukrainian refugees is Inna Zuranskaya, who is a volunteer helping match arriving families with the North London synagogue congregation who have offered their homes. With a background in real estate and finance, she screened arrivals - and discovered that some had antisemitic prejudices and refused to be housed in Jewish homes.
Happily, these were in the minority. According to the Jewish Chronicle, more than 800 Jewish families registered to host. Currently, the new North London Synagogue is hosting 50 families who now have their own dedicated co-ordinator. Several hosts are high-profile individuals, including a renowned criminal barrister, a female Orthodox rabbi and a film producer.
“There have been almost no issues, once we explained the laws of kashrut. Most of the misunderstanding and frustration we encounter is around jobs from people over 40 with very high qualifications and unrealistic expectations about being able to practice here at the same level. Many have rejected jobs in hospitality or retail, saying it was beneath them.”
Inevitably, there has been resentment from Syrian and Afghan refugees who have not found Britons as welcoming towards their plight. Perhaps those who have opened their homes to this wave of Ukrainians will set an example.
To date, 3000 Ukrainians have arrived as refugees in Australia, mostly sponsored by family members. There is currently no equivalent of the Refugees at Home scheme here.
Photo: Svitlana Sabri plays the piano, watched by her son Timur, Louise Kaye (striped shirt) and Clare, in Louise Kaye's home (Karina Sabri)
