Ukraine Crisis Update

Aid agencies have found themselves overwhelmed by donations in kind and so are now specifically asking for financial donations only. You can help by:

Donating to the Greater Manchester Community Response Fund

Caritas Shrewsbury are proud to be working with a coalition of fantastic VCFSE organisations from across Greater Manchester to launch the Greater Manchester Community Response Fund.

You can donate via: Greater Manchester Community Response Fund: Ukraine Crisis – JustGiving

Donating through CAFOD and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal

The DEC have launched an appeal for humanitarian support. The UK Government will match any donations collected through members of the DEC like Catholic Agency, Cafod, who are a part of this group. Your donation could also be eligible for Gift Aid.

To donate, please visit: https://cafod.org.uk/Give/Donate-to-Emergencies/Ukraine-Humanitarian-Appeal.

Homes for Ukraine – Hosting Ukrainian refugees

Welcoming and providing access to safe accommodation is really important for people forced to their home and take refuge in another country. On 14th March the UK Government announced a scheme to provide homes to people from Ukraine.

Before you commit to sponsoring, it is very important that you think carefully about what this will mean to you and your family.

A person or family fleeing Ukraine will be living with you for a minimum of 6 months, needing access to a safe place to stay. You might be in a position to offer a self-contained property or a room in your home.

You should consider what having someone to stay for this length of time might mean to you and your family. It’s a huge commitment to make and may have implications on your tenancy, council tax, home insurance or mortgage arrangements. You’ll need to make sure you research this carefully before applying.

We recommend that you think about the role of sponsor and research the support in your area. Would other parishioners or neighbours be able to assist? Are you able to manage potential issues around language barriers? You may be expected to be able to offer support to access services such as registering with a doctor or setting up a bank account as well as more specialist support.

People fleeing from Ukraine have very recently experienced intense trauma. They have fled their homes, livelihoods and likely left family members behind in a situation of extreme uncertainty and danger. You should be prepared for the possibility of the refugee(s) you are hosting experiencing psychological trauma which may require medical attention.

There may also be language and cultural barriers – some of which may be immediately obvious, others may take time to learn and get to know. At this stage, it is not clear what/if concrete English language support will be available in local communities.

Security checks will be necessary for hosts and for those being referred to the UK. If you do offer accommodation, the Local Authority will be responsible for checking it is safe.

Everyone applying to the UK Government to sponsor a person or family will need to name the people they would like to welcome. In partnership with other agencies, Caritas Shrewsbury are exploring the safest and best way to refer parishioners and those willing to offer their home. We will confirm this in the next few days.

If you would like to express an interest in hosting Ukrainian refugees, please email: info@caritasshrewsbury.org.uk.
Clergy and religious should contact Caritas Shrewsbury, before registering, in order that Caritas can co-ordinate support from the Diocesan Safeguarding Commission and Property Team to ensure the property is safe to welcome people. Please email: info@caritasshrewsbury.org.uk.

If you find that this programme is not suitable for you, there may be other ways that you could help including supporting a host.

If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, please email: info@caritasshrewsbury.org.uk.

Provide language support as a translator

Are you a Ukrainian or Russian speaker? Safe resettlement and integration of refugees seeking conflict depends on access to people who can translate fluently into English. If you are skilled in the main languages spoken in Ukraine, please register as a volunteer translator by contacting info@caritasshrewsbury.org.uk.

Donate to Caritas Shrewsbury to support our ongoing local work

As the social action and social justice agency of the Diocese, Caritas Shrewsbury was set up specifically to carry out local social action work While our work is not international, subject to the UK Government relaxation of visa restrictions, we intend to play a role in welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating Ukrainians and those affected by the war to our community.

For this reason, we intend to continue with our own plans for Lenten giving this year. Funds raised will support our local capability to assist people and communities. It is understandable though that there may be a different focus in your mind right now.

Write to your local MP

Through your MP you can press the British government to ensure sanctions are in place on the Russian government and its associates. You can advocate on behalf of Ukrainian people seeking refuge in the UK. In particular please join us in supporting the Together With Refugees campaign which is presently expressing concern about the Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill. This bill is going through Parliament and would further restrict the ability of Ukrainians and those fleeing conflict in other countries such as Afghanistan from seeking sanctuary here in the UK: https://togetherwithrefugees.org.uk/.

To get in touch with your local MP via email, or post to their constituency address, visit https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ for their details.

Pray for Ukraine

Please continue to keep the people of Ukraine in your prayers along with our brothers and sisters in the wider international Caritas relief effort. The following prayer has been adapted, with thanks to CAFOD.

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine, for all who are affected by war and conflict, for all who are suffering or afraid, that you will be close to them and protect them.
We pray for world leaders, that the Holy Spirit will bring them compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.
We pray for all our Caritas colleagues who are assisting people who are in most need in the Ukraine, on the borders and in the neighbouring countries.
We pray for the world that in this moment of crisis, we may reach out in meaningful solidarity to our brothers and sisters in need.
Help us to walk in your ways so that peace and justice become a reality for the people of Ukraine and for all the world.
We make our prayer through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Assistance for those leaving Ukraine

People emailing looking for assistance on their journey to the UK can be directed to the Home Office factsheet and helpline: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/25/home-office-action-on-ukraine/.

Caritas Shrewsbury is preparing advice for parishes and communities on how they can potentially support Ukrainian refugee families in the UK if/when the UK Government relax the current restricted visa position. We will also be in touch with the Ukrainian Catholic communities in the area, who will likely be a focus for those refugees seeking support. We will communicate any updates in due course.

To make a donation to Caritas Internationalis, go to: https://www.caritas.org/.

To donate to Caritas Shrewsbury’s local capacity and support for those experiencing crisis and challenge this Lent visit: https://donate.givetap.co.uk/d/kqksg812?qr-id=website.

To make a donation to CAFOD: https://cafod.org.uk/Give/Donate-to-Emergencies/Ukraine-Humanitarian-Appeal.

Guidance documents:

Caritas Social Action Network have provided the following toolkit for release to parishes and communities across England and Wales: https://www.csan.org.uk/ukraine/.

Red Cross Information Leaflet for Ukrainians arriving in the UK

ENGLISH – https://www.redcross.org.uk/-/media/documents/get-help-as-a-refugee/ukraine/information-leaflet-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-the-uk.pdf?la=en&hash=F7B944113231A3D1E81779862CBB0CE8C6E94EC8

UKRAINIAN – https://www.redcross.org.uk/-/media/documents/get-help-as-a-refugee/ukraine/information-leaflet-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-the-uk_ukrainian.pdf?la=en&hash=74D6150B1BE2D49E4F4A88D102F62737F2DE325D

RUSSIAN – https://www.redcross.org.uk/-/media/documents/get-help-as-a-refugee/ukraine/information-leaflet-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-the-uk_russian.pdf?la=en&hash=5C498AA1C1D3C74EC60DEEBC614375AEA9E1D780

GM VCSE response to emergency humanitarian events

Asylum Matters have shared Maternity Action’s Migrant Women’s Rights Service new information sheet – No Recourse to Public Funds: Money for parents and babies.

The financial inclusion and literacy charity FLIC (in collaboration with the Financial Times) have produced a guide to help would-be hosts and guests navigate the complexities of moving to the UK. (Please click here to download your copy.) Includes tips on finances and information on benefits and employment rules. Available in English and Ukrainian. Attached is the English version.

Refugees At Home have published a Hosting Families and Young People Guide (Please click here to download your copy.)

Many arrivals may be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme to be able to buy healthy foods like milk or fruit, and free vitamins, and may be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if all the following are true:
* you have at least 1 British child under 4 years old – check if your child is a British citizen if you’re not sure
* your family earns £408 or less per month after tax
* you cannot claim ‘public funds’ (for example, benefits) – either because of your immigration status or because you do not have an immigration status

To apply, ask for an application form by email. Only use this email address if you think you cannot claim public funds because of your immigration status: Healthystartclaim@dhsc.gov.uk More information here.

Events:

AUGB Stockport Ukrainian Club and Stockport Council are holding a vigil on 29/6/2022 at 7pm on St. Petersgate to send a message of support to All Ukrainian people. (Click here to download the poster for more information.) “We’d like the people of Stockport to join with us in quiet reflection which will then be followed by a celebration of strength and unity of Ukrainian culture and tradition through Music, Song and Dance.”

Campaigning:

Asylum Matters has developed a number of Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws materials, including posters, write-to-MP postcards, stickers and badges. Please contact info@asylummatters.org if you would like any, and you can access print-ready digital versions from this folder.

Our Resources page has a ‘Campaigning information for individuals and organisations‘ section

Reading:

Free Movement’s update: Afghan resettlement schemes belatedly due to launch

BBC News: Migrants – Some due for removal from the UK could be electronically tagged

All migrant victims of domestic abuse and violence must be protected, says Lords committee – UK Parliament International Agreements Committee, 17 June

Free Movement’s article: Home Office must consider Afghan judges’ visa applications

INEWS: ‘I’ll never see my mum again,’ Afghan boy’s despair after UK Government rejects mother’s application

@CSANonline’s Twitter thread: Around a quarter of housing authorities in England haven’t supplied data to Govt about Ukrainian households owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty (24 Feb to 3 Jun). This suggests there are more than the reported 660 of these households