Latest news with #HomesForUkraine
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ukrainian dancer's gift to community in East Midlands after fleeing war
"In one moment, I realised, this is death, this is war."In February 2022, professional ballet dancer and single mother, Kateryna Tor, woke to the sound of bombs going off in her home city of Odesa, for her life, she jumped into her car in the early hours of the morning, with her one-year-old baby boy, driving for 38 hours with no sleep or food, determined to escape to Tor travelled to three countries before settling in the UK, where she taught herself to speak English and started up a ballet school for adults of all abilities in the East Midlands. The 41-year-old, who now lives in Alfreton, Derbyshire, started dancing in Ukraine in the 1990s, when she was six years fell in love with ballet and made a career out of it, training as a classical ballet dancer. Ms Tor danced professionally in Odesa, but when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she knew she had to leave her country. "It was very scary, if you don't leave, you will die," she Tor fled Odesa with her baby in the early hours of 24 February 2022, when she was woken by the sounds of the city being invaded. "I tried to avoid all the bombs, tried to stay alive," she explained. Ms Tor travelled to Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria, before arriving in England in October 2023, as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. She settled in the East Midlands, where she learned how to speak English. Last year in September, Ms Tor set up her own business, teaching ballet dancing to adults of all ages and abilities in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, and Alfreton in Derbyshire. "I wanted to do something for this community, for this country, to show people Ukrainian culture," she Tor added the dangers in her home country push her to achieve every day. "If I'm tired, or upset, or everything is horrible, or it's wet, I say - 'I'm not in Ukraine now'," Ms Tor said."In Ukraine, you can die, so go up." Ms Tor teaches four sessions a week with a group of adults aged 25-70. She said she wanted people to be inspired by her classes, and believes she could teach anyone to dance. "I like it when I see my influence on them and see how they grow," she women who regularly attend the classes said Ms Tor had created a special Sullivan, 59, from Mansfield, was inspired by Ms Tor to take up dancing again after 40 years."The fact that she's come over, she's learned a whole new language, new alphabet [from Cyrillic to Latin], she's had to make a completely new life for herself, and she can communicate, get us to do what she wants, she's an inspiration - she's brilliant," Ms Sullivan said. 'A superwoman' Ms Tor's ballet classes are not just for experienced dancers but also for beginners of any age. Rosie Finney, 27, from Riddings in Derbyshire, started going to the classes in January as a beginner. "I literally had no idea what I was doing when I started," she said. "She makes you feel like you can do it."She's a superwoman, it's incredible. I've never met anyone who does so much and does it so flawlessly and makes it completely effortless."Some members of her classes in Eastwood, who had previous ballet experience, said the quality of her teaching was unmatched by any other teacher they had ever had. Joanne Baker, 57, from Heanor, said: "She's very positive and picks out things that will help you, and immediately I improved.""She just has an attitude that you can do anything."
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'Gang member' who arrived in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme facing extradition for storing rocket launchers and anti-tank grenades, court hears
An accused 'gang member' who arrived in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme is facing extradition for storing rocket launchers and anti-tank grenades, a court has heard. Mykola Kubrak, 29, is said to have carried out the offences in Ukraine between September 2021 and February 9, 2022. An arrest warrant issued by Ukraine accuses 'fugitive' Kubrak of committing various acts of extortion by use of violence as part of an organised criminal group. He is further alleged to have helped store two rocket launchers, anti-tank grenades and converted pistols. Kubrak is understood to have left Ukraine in February 2022 after his father was made aware of the allegations against him, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard. He then applied to come to the UK via the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme in April 2022 before arriving with his wife several months later. Launched by the UK Government under Boris Johnson, then Prime Minister, in March 2022, the scheme enabled British residents and citizens to sponsor Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members to find safety and refuge in the UK following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. As of February 1, 2024, an estimated 142,000 Ukrainians arrived in the UK under the sponsorship scheme, according to the Local Government Association. Kubrak was working for a car hire business when he was arrested on July 2, 2025 in connection with the warrant issued by Ukraine. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court today for a bail hearing, the 29-year-old was supported by his wife, a qualified dental nurse currently working in London. Camila Ferraro, for the Ukrainian government, said the offences included 'extortion with violence by an organised criminal group, unlawful appropriation of a vehicle, carrying or storing firearms or ammunition without a permit and stealing an official document. 'It is alleged that the requested person and others were recruited to a criminal gang who then engaged in specific acts of extortion by violence and theft.' Ms Ferraro added that Kubrak and other gang members visited a man's home on September 28, 2021, threatening violence and demanding cash. She said that the group then proceeded to 'seize equipment belonging to the victim' that had a value of up to £19,744. Then, Kubrak is said to have 'purchased and stored military supplies of firearms', with Ms Ferraro adding: 'During an organised search of the premises in February 2022 police recovered two rocket-propelled-grenades (and) anti-tank grenades. 'Lastly, on another occasion on 10 November 2021, Kubrak and others arranged a meeting with the named individual at a restaurant in the early hours of the morning. 'When he arrived, Kubrak and another dragged him into a nearby car and threatened him with violence and demanded a payment amounting to around £1,094.' The prosecutor said Kubrak left Ukraine via Romania on February 9, 2022 after his father was 'informed he was a suspect. Adding that Kubrak had undertaken 'clearly violent and dangerous offences', she describe the Ukranian national as 'a fugitive on the basis of the warrant'. But Calla Randall, for Kubrak, said he was 'under instruction from those higher up in the organised criminal group'. She remarked that it was unclear 'he was anything more than an extra body that was present at these various incidents' and had not been 'at at the top of that hierarchy'. Ms Randall added: 'The rocket launchers that were found in his home - the circumstances of how those were obtained or where they came from is not known. 'Ukraine is of course a war-zone, so it is not quite the same - in my submission - as finding rocket launchers in a flat in London.' Ms Randall also explained that Kubrak had established a life in the UK after 'moving here via the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme'. Kubrak is said to have undertaken the application process 'in his own name' in April 2022, before eventually moving to the UK in July of that year. Disputing his status as a fugitive, Ms Randall told the court: 'The question is would he really have completed that process using his own names if he was aware of these proceedings?' Ms Randall asked Kubrak to be released on bail with stringent conditions. But District Judge Kevin Gregor told Kubrak that he would remain in custody. Explaining his decision, the judge added: 'I'm told that you left the Ukrainian jurisdiction on the very day your father was informed that the police had an interest in you. 'I doubt that's a coincidence. 'There is a substantial risk that if you were allowed your liberty, even with conditions imposed, you would seek to put distance between yourself and this jurisdiction and these proceedings.' Kubrak will return to Westminster Magistrates Court for a further hearing on August 11.
Russia Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
UK starting to turn away Ukrainians
The UK has begun turning down asylum claims from Ukrainians, asserting that applicants can safely relocate to other parts of Ukraine, the Guardian has reported. A London-based legal firm told the newspaper on Friday that it receives weekly inquiries from Ukrainians whose refusal letters commonly state that they do not meet the threshold for persecution under the Refugee Convention, as applicants are deemed able to relocate to safer parts of Ukraine. The letters also cite the availability of public services in Ukraine and suggest that seeking help from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and local organizations. The firm noted that the growing number of refusals was linked to updates made in January to the UK Home Office's guidance, which now identifies regions such as Kiev and western Ukraine as 'generally safe.' Refugee status in the UK grants recipients five years of residency with access to work, benefits, healthcare, housing support, and family reunification. The UK also offers temporary visas through the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family schemes, allowing stays of up to 18 months. As of March 2025, over 270,000 visas had been issued. A Home Office spokesperson told the Guardian that the UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. The ministry emphasized that asylum claims are assessed individually and noted that the Homes for Ukraine scheme remains open. Several million Ukrainians have fled their country over the past three years. According to Eurostat data, around 4.3 million had been granted temporary protection in the EU as of March 2025. Russia, meanwhile, reported that 5.5 million people had arrived from Ukraine by the end of 2023. The outflow has been driven not only by the ongoing conflict but also by increasingly aggressive mobilization tactics used by the Ukrainian military. These efforts have led to violent confrontations between draft officers and those resisting conscription, with male Ukrainians risking criminal prosecution for fleeing the country. London has committed billions in military assistance to Ukraine since 2022. Moscow has repeatedly accused the UK and its Western allies of using Ukraine as a 'battering ram' against Russia and of pursuing the conflict 'until the last Ukrainian.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Could I be on the hook for rent costs for the Ukrainian family I sponsor?'
Do you have a legal question to put to Gary? Email askalawyer@ or use the form at the bottom of the page. Hello Gary, I sponsored a Ukrainian family (granny, mum and daughter) under the original government scheme set up after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. As we are empty nesters, they lived in spare bedrooms in our house for a year until they secured their own accommodation. They are wonderful, hard-working people, and we are all now friends – particularly me and the mum. The mum now wants her husband and his dad to move to the UK and they have asked me to sponsor again. This time we are not being asked to accommodate them. However, I am worried I will have legal responsibility for their rent if I agree to sponsor and they live elsewhere. Presumably, the family already settled in the UK will have to move to bigger place, or they will rent separate houses. Whatever they end up doing housing-wise, as the UK sponsor what would be my legal responsibilities in these circumstances? – Angela, by email Dear Angela, First, I must acknowledge the act of great compassion for you to sponsor and accommodate the original trio of granny, mum and daughter in 2022. That said, you are right to be wary of any legal implications and ongoing financial responsibility of signing up again, in circumstances which are fundamentally different in that the persons seeking sponsorship this time are not going to be living with you. Under the original Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was launched by the UK government in March 2022, a so-called 'sponsor' such as yourself is not legally responsible for ongoing financial or housing support beyond the initial arrangement to accommodate for at least six months upon arrival in the UK. The exception to this is if you voluntarily enter into a private agreement that says otherwise, such as signing up to be guarantor of rent payments under a tenancy agreement, or becoming a co-tenant. In each case, my advice is do not do that, unless you have the means to pay the rent. This means that after the original trio moved out of your home and started renting a house, you had no ongoing legal responsibility or liability for rents or other debts. In that sense it was 'job done' – your relationship as sponsor was over and you could now simply be friends. At its heart, the Homes for Ukraine scheme is a way for persons displaced by the war in Ukraine to enter the UK legally under a visa. Initially, visa holders were granted up to three years' leave to remain. From early 2025, it has been possible to apply for an 18-month extension to allow rights to work, study and access public services. At present, there is no direct route to permanent residency for those like your trio already here under the original scheme. The logic for this is the Government says at some point Ukraine will be a safe place to return to. I mention this because if one or all of your original trio could become permanent residents – perhaps under the skilled worker route, if eligible – their position would be much more secure. However, as of February 2024, only a UK national can sponsor a Ukrainian under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. So, as it stands, the existing trio from Ukraine cannot sponsor the rest of their family to come over to the UK. Which is where you come in again. If you want to. And while I imagine you feel a moral obligation to sponsor the husband and his dad – not least because of your friendship with the trio, who have been part of your life now for three years – it is important to understand the essential requirements of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Under the scheme, you are expected to provide accommodation to the individuals you are sponsoring, such as a spare room in your house or separate self-contained accommodation rent-free for a period of at least six months. Your question is: if the husband and his dad live elsewhere, will you be responsible for their rent? The legal answer to that question is no you will not. But the more fundamental issue is if the person you sponsor rents elsewhere instead of living in accommodation you provide, that falls outside of the scheme itself. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, there is a £350 to £500 monthly thank you payment, which you would forfeit if you do not provide rent-free accommodation. But, more worryingly for you and the Ukrainians concerned, the conditions of the visa would not be fulfilled. You must give accurate information on any forms you are asked to complete as a sponsor. Therefore, you must say if you are providing accommodation or not. Providing false information on a visa application constitutes a criminal offence under UK law. Convictions can result in fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offence. So, while you may not be liable for the rent or other debts of the Ukrainians, there is a financial implication if you do not accommodate them for the initial six months they are in the UK. In my view, all this means you must say to your original trio that you may only help with their other family members moving over only if you can all be totally transparent that they will be living together in a rented house, that you will not be accommodating anyone, and that you will not be guaranteeing any rent payments or otherwise taking on any responsibility for their financial responsibilities. It will then be up to the Government whether to grant a visa or not. Ask a Lawyer should not be taken as formal legal advice, but rather as a starting point for readers to undertake their own further research. 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Telegraph
04-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
‘Could I be on the hook for rent for the Ukrainian family I sponsor?'
Do you have a legal question to put to Gary? Email askalawyer@ or use the form at the bottom of the page. Hello Gary, I sponsored a Ukrainian family (granny, mum and daughter) under the original government scheme set up after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. As we are empty nesters, they lived in spare bedrooms in our house for a year until they secured their own accommodation. They are wonderful, hard-working people, and we are all now friends – particularly me and the mum. The mum now wants her husband and his dad to move to the UK, and they have asked me to sponsor again. This time we are not being asked to accommodate them. However, I am worried I will have legal responsibility for their rent if I agree to sponsor and they live elsewhere. Presumably, the family already settled in the UK will have to move to bigger place, or they will rent separate houses. Whatever they end up doing housing-wise, as the UK sponsor what would be my legal responsibilities in these circumstances? – Angela, by email Dear Angela, First, I must acknowledge the act of great compassion for you to sponsor and accommodate the original trio of granny, mum and daughter in 2022. That said, you are right to be wary of any legal implications and ongoing financial responsibility of signing up again, in circumstances which are fundamentally different in that the persons seeking sponsorship this time are not going to be living with you. Under the original Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was launched by the UK government in March 2022, a so-called 'sponsor' such as yourself is not legally responsible for ongoing financial or housing support beyond the initial arrangement to accommodate for at least six months upon arrival in the UK. The exception to this is if you voluntarily enter into a private agreement that says otherwise, such as signing up to be guarantor of rent payments under a tenancy agreement, or becoming a co-tenant. In each case, my advice is do not do that, unless you have the means to pay the rent. This means that after the original trio moved out of your home and started renting a house, you had no ongoing legal responsibility or liability for rents or other debts. In that sense it was 'job done' – your relationship as sponsor was over and you could now simply be friends. At its heart, the Homes for Ukraine scheme is a way for persons displaced by the war in Ukraine to enter the UK legally under a visa. Initially, visa holders were granted up to three years' leave to remain. From early 2025, it has been possible to apply for an 18-month extension to allow rights to work, study and access public services. At present, there is no direct route to permanent residency for those like your trio already here under the original scheme. The logic for this is the Government says at some point Ukraine will be a safe place to return to. I mention this because if one or all of your original trio could become permanent residents – perhaps under the skilled worker route, if eligible – their position would be much more secure. However, as of February 2024, only a UK national can sponsor a Ukrainian under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. So, as it stands, the existing trio from Ukraine cannot sponsor the rest of their family to come over to the UK. Which is where you come in again. If you want to. And while I imagine you feel a moral obligation to sponsor the husband and his dad – not least because of your friendship with the trio, who have been part of your life now for three years – it is important to understand the essential requirements of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Under the scheme, you are expected to provide accommodation to the individuals you are sponsoring, such as a spare room in your house or separate self-contained accommodation rent-free for a period of at least six months. Your question is: if the husband and his dad live elsewhere, will you be responsible for their rent? The legal answer to that question is no you will not. But the more fundamental issue is if the person you sponsor rents elsewhere instead of living in accommodation you provide, that falls outside of the scheme itself. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, there is a £350 to £500 monthly thank you payment, which you would forfeit if you do not provide rent-free accommodation. But, more worryingly for you and the Ukrainians concerned, the conditions of the visa would not be fulfilled. You must give accurate information on any forms you are asked to complete as a sponsor. Therefore, you must say if you are providing accommodation or not. Providing false information on a visa application constitutes a criminal offence under UK law. Convictions can result in fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offence. So, while you may not be liable for the rent or other debts of the Ukrainians, there is a financial implication if you do not accommodate them for the initial six months they are in the UK. In my view, all this means you must say to your original trio that you may only help with their other family members moving over only if you can all be totally transparent that they will be living together in a rented house, that you will not be accommodating anyone, and that you will not be guaranteeing any rent payments or otherwise taking on any responsibility for their financial responsibilities. It will then be up to the Government whether to grant a visa or not.
