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Scotland considers scrapping payments for hosting Ukrainians
(MENAFN) Ukrainian residents in Scotland may face housing insecurity as the government reviews plans to stop monthly “thank you” payments to hosts, according to reports. One Scottish host said they received a council letter seeking feedback on ending the support.
Since 2022, over 4.3 million Ukrainians have received temporary protection across the EU, including roughly 28,000 in Scotland. However, support for hosting has been declining. In October, the European Commission informed Kiev that the temporary protection scheme will not extend beyond March 2027, while several EU countries have already reduced aid.
A host in Scotland told reporters, “We got a letter from the council, asking what we thought of the ‘thank you’ payments coming to an end. They asked if we would require our guest to leave, which we would never do. But others may not be so lucky.”
Under the UK Conservative government, the “Homes for Ukraine” initiative offered hosts £350 per month (about $440), rising to £500 ($625) after a year. Scotland now follows the UK-wide flat rate of £350. The potential change seems unique to Scotland, where local councils manage the scheme and warn it could trigger a rise in homelessness applications.
Meanwhile, Eurostat reported an increase in fighting-age Ukrainian men entering the EU after President Zelensky eased travel restrictions for males aged 18–22. Ukraine’s military is under growing strain as manpower shortages intensify.
Several European nations have also scaled back support. Poland, hosting at least 2.5 million Ukrainians, announced welfare aid would continue for only one more year, and access to benefits has been tightened amid growing public discontent. Germany will reduce support for newly arriving Ukrainians from April 2025, replacing the higher Bürgergeld with the standard asylum seeker allowance.
In the UK, media reports indicate authorities have increasingly denied long-term protection or asylum claims from Ukrainians, arguing that western regions of Ukraine are now safe. Across the Atlantic, around 200,000 Ukrainians in the United States may lose legal status due to stricter border security measures, according to government data cited by a news outlet.
Since 2022, over 4.3 million Ukrainians have received temporary protection across the EU, including roughly 28,000 in Scotland. However, support for hosting has been declining. In October, the European Commission informed Kiev that the temporary protection scheme will not extend beyond March 2027, while several EU countries have already reduced aid.
A host in Scotland told reporters, “We got a letter from the council, asking what we thought of the ‘thank you’ payments coming to an end. They asked if we would require our guest to leave, which we would never do. But others may not be so lucky.”
Under the UK Conservative government, the “Homes for Ukraine” initiative offered hosts £350 per month (about $440), rising to £500 ($625) after a year. Scotland now follows the UK-wide flat rate of £350. The potential change seems unique to Scotland, where local councils manage the scheme and warn it could trigger a rise in homelessness applications.
Meanwhile, Eurostat reported an increase in fighting-age Ukrainian men entering the EU after President Zelensky eased travel restrictions for males aged 18–22. Ukraine’s military is under growing strain as manpower shortages intensify.
Several European nations have also scaled back support. Poland, hosting at least 2.5 million Ukrainians, announced welfare aid would continue for only one more year, and access to benefits has been tightened amid growing public discontent. Germany will reduce support for newly arriving Ukrainians from April 2025, replacing the higher Bürgergeld with the standard asylum seeker allowance.
In the UK, media reports indicate authorities have increasingly denied long-term protection or asylum claims from Ukrainians, arguing that western regions of Ukraine are now safe. Across the Atlantic, around 200,000 Ukrainians in the United States may lose legal status due to stricter border security measures, according to government data cited by a news outlet.
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