More than 150 visas issued for refugees to stay in Mid Ulster – as new survey finds more support needed for hosts

More than 150 visas have been issued for Ukrainians to stay with hosts in Mid Ulster – but a new survey reveals hosts across the country need support from the Government to continue as costs soar.

Since March, Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion have been able to apply for a visa to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

The scheme, also known as "Homes for Ukraine", allows individuals to host refugees for a minimum of six months.

As of August 2, 162 visas had been issued for refugees staying with hosts in Mid Ulster – 46 of which had arrived in the UK as of the day before.

A new survey has suggested that hosts need more financial help from the Government amid the cost-of-living crisis, which has rapidly pushed up the price of food, energy and fuel.

Across the UK, more than 17,000 sponsors responded to the questionnaire between July 7 and July 14, with more than 70% saying the crisis has impacted their ability to provide support.