Ruth praises local community for supporting Ukrainians in their darkest hour

Speaking in a debate about Ukraine Ruth Cadbury MP praised the countless acts of charity to support Ukrainians refugees. In her speech Ruth mentioned the example of Chiswick School who sent a bus full of donations, while also praising Polish Radio London who set up a donation point for local people. Ruth then went on to condemn the atrocities committed by Russian forces, especially the targeting of women.

Ruth also blamed the ‘organisational failure and cynicism’’ of the Home Office for the long-running delays in granting visas to refugees and said that the Home Secretary Priti Patel had failed to fix the ‘mess’ of the Home Office. Additionally, Ruth called on the Government to play a role in matching Ukrainian refugees with sponsors in the UK who had offered their homes.

Speaking afterwards Ruth said,

‘‘People across Hounslow have opened their homes for families fleeing Ukraine and we’ve seen an outpouring of donations in aid of refugees and charities. It’s been inspiring to see so many acts of charity and support for Ukraine at their darkest hour. Hounslow is the UK borough with the third largest number of Ukrainian-born residents, which means so many of my constituents have been directly touched by the crisis, and so many more want to provide support after seeing the news of what is happening in Ukraine.

However, the Government need to match the efforts of people local and get a grip on the huge delays in issuing visas for Ukrainians. It’s simply not acceptable that refugees are living in train stations while they wait for the Home Office to fix this backlog, which serves as a poor welcome compared to that provided by most other European countries. Additionally, the Government need to fix the huge gaps in the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and they need to play a role in matching refugees with sponsor families. It’s been shocking to read that refugees have been offered sex in exchange for accommodation, as a minority have sought to exploit the lottery system facing for refugees who are trying to get accommodation.

The UK has a proud tradition of accepting refugees. The Home Secretary Priti Patel needs to act urgently to fix the mess which is stopping Ukrainian refugees from arriving in the UK.’’