Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider including refugees arriving under the family visa scheme within the funding of the Homes for Ukraine scheme; and whether they will remove the barriers to exchanging Ukrainian currency for sterling.

To support those fleeing the conflict, the Government has introduced two visa schemes to welcome Ukrainian refugees to the UK: the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine. The Ukraine Family Scheme allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK. Homes for Ukraine allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the scheme. Further details on scheme eligibility can be found at GOV.UK. People that enter under both visa schemes support integration by providing full access to social services and welfare in the UK for up to three years.

As each of these schemes uses different routes to support Ukrainians to find safe refuge in the UK, they were set up to be funded differently. The Ukraine Family Scheme is similar to existing family visa routes, and provision of public services from this route will be managed in the usual way. The UK-based family member is expected to provide support and accommodation for those coming to join them, who in turn benefit from the wider integration advantages in joining an existing family network.

On the matter of exchanging Ukrainian currency for sterling, the Government has taken steps to ensure support for incoming Ukrainian nationals opening bank accounts, and Ukrainians are able to convert their currency to GBP electronically at several major banks and electronic money institutions. The industry has also taken measures to support refugees and their access to essential financial services, including commitments to waive certain fees. The Government continues to monitor the situation for Ukrainians in the UK’s financial marketplace closely.