Debate contribution: Housing: Refugees
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 8 April 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Housing: Refugees
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4481304
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Yes, absolutely. We continue to play our part in supporting Ukrainians who are fleeing war. There have been over 3,100 arrivals here so far, and more than £620,000 has been paid in immediate cash support to help people to get established. We have coordinated work across Departments to support arrivals and facilitated payments of over £3 million to more than 900 individual homes, the people who have opened their doors to help and be Ukrainians' sponsors. We are also mindful that some of our first arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme are entering the final year of their current visa and that that is a worrying moment for people. We therefore welcome the announcement by the Home Office on 19 February confirming the opportunity to apply for an extended Homes for Ukraine visa, for a further 18 months, for those who wish to remain. As with all such matters, given that the policy responsibility sits in London, we will continue to engage with the Home Office in London and the Department for Levelling Up on work to support Ukrainian arrivals.
182 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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