'Why I'm taking Ukrainian refugees into my home - and what needs to change about the system'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

It is an anxious waiting game for Marijke Hoek, who is hoping to welcome Ukrainian refugees into her home in Burnage. The 60-year old signed up to the UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme to actively help with the war in Europe, but the ‘complex’ process is ‘taking too long.’ Marijke made contact with a young widow who has a 12-year-old son a few weeks ago and applied to be a sponsor last Friday as soon as the government’s scheme opened - among more than 100,000 others.

She has been communicating with the mum based in Kyiv via Facebook messenger, after her friend in Manchester from Ukraine put them in touch.

The part-time church leader says all she has received so far is a confirmation email about the application, but no indication as to if she has been successful or when the pair will be able to join her. “I think the government has created a complex process and has been very slow, they’re making it far from smooth or quick,” Marijke said on Tuesday. READ MORE: Rishi Sunak lowers fuel duty by 5p and cuts National Insurance “I have no idea if I will get an answer next week, or the week after, or tomorrow.

In the meantime, these people are in all sorts of difficulties and dangerous situations. "It’s great to be involved but on the other hand, I’m thinking ‘surely we can check up on people after they’ve arrived’ - most of them are women and children, the men are not coming, they can’t leave.” The homeowner added: “This war has been going on 27 days and we’ve only given out 10,200 permissions for Ukrainians to come over so far.