A Warm Scots Future for Ukrainians

A new strategy will help Ukrainians living in Scotland to settle into communities and gain longer term housing.

Developed by the Scottish Government in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and COSLA, the Warm Scots Future paper sets out priorities for the next phase of Scotland’s Ukraine response to support those fleeing the conflict to rebuild their lives here.

These include reducing the use of temporary accommodation, boosting access to settled housing, and keeping human rights at the heart of all integration efforts.

To support these priorities, more than £1.5 million is being made available to third sector organisations to benefit Ukrainians.

Local authorities will also receive £3.2 million to support staffing of resettlement teams. This is alongside £30 million being distributed to councils to support Ukrainians into sustainable housing, including through private and social renting.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville launched the plan at an arts and wellbeing event at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain’s (AUGB) Edinburgh hub.

Ms Somerville said:

“Scotland acted swiftly to provide an immediate place of safety to Ukrainians following the illegal Russian invasion. We have offered sanctuary to more than 25,500 people since the war outbreak.

“Many of those arrivals have now started to rebuild their lives in Scotland – gaining employment, enrolling children in schools, and settling into communities. As we look to the future, it is right that our approach to supporting Ukrainians reflects these changing circumstances.

“This paper sets out the steps we and our partners will take to help Ukrainians continue to settle into life in Scotland for the longer term. Working closely with charities and local authorities, this will include support for integration – from English lessons, to employment support, to accessing mental health services – and help even more people into settled housing.

“We are clear that we want Scotland to be home for every Ukrainian living here for as long as they need it to be; and this includes a need to establish clear routes to settlement in Scotland for those who wish to stay here. We will also continue to press the UK Government for much-needed clarity on options available for people displaced from Ukraine when the three-year visa period ends.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council Sabir Zazai said: 

“The illegal invasion of Ukraine reminds us how quickly and devastatingly any of our lives can change. It underlines the lifesaving importance of providing refugee protection in an era of mass conflict and global instability. At Scottish Refugee Council we’re proud to have played a part in supporting people through this emergency, and we’ll continue to be there for people from Ukraine to do all we can to support them through the process of rebuilding their lives here.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said:

“I cannot underestimate the tremendous effort it has taken Councils and all partners to ensure that our Ukrainian guests have found a safe and welcoming place to stay in Scotland. The publication of the Warm Scots Future paper represents the start of a conversation on how we can move from an emergency response to a long term and more sustainable approach to resettlement.” 

Ukrainian Consul Andrii Kuslii said:

“By offering comprehensive assistance, Scotland stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine, extending a message of hope and unity. The actions of the Scottish Government and its partners not only provide immediate relief but also send a powerful message to the world about the importance of coming together to support and protect vulnerable populations during times of Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

Background

A Warm Scots Future: Policy Position Paper

The Scottish Government will provide £3.2 million in 2023-24 to support staffing of local authority resettlement teams, which maintains the funding level provided in 2022-23.

The Scottish Government received £30 million from the UK-wide allocation of £150 million to support Ukrainians into their own homes and prevent homelessness, which is being passed on in full to local authorities: Ukraine resettlement: letter to local authorities about funding - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

A model for distributing this money in Scotland was agreed by local authorities in August. This is based on the number of displaced people from Ukraine in each local authority area (50% weighting) and wider housing pressures as included in the adjusted Strategic Housing Investment Framework (50% weighting). This funding is to help local authorities support people displaced from Ukraine into sustainable longer-term settled accommodation, including the private rented sector and social housing, and to provide on-going employability and wider integration support advice and coordination. 

The Scottish Government has made more than £1.5 million available for third sector organisation to support Ukrainians. This is distributed as follows:

On 21 August 2023, we announced the Edinburgh-based organisations who are receiving this funding. More information on this is available here.

Scotland is offering sanctuary to more displaced people from Ukraine per head of population than any other part of the UK, with over 39,000 people with a Scottish sponsor being granted a visa, of whom over 25,500 have arrived in the UK as of 19 September 2023.

Our £50 million Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund is helping Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords refurbish void properties to accommodate displaced Ukrainian people, which is already helping bring almost 1,200 empty and unused properties back into use. We are also continuing to make full use of existing and new volunteer hosts, social housing and supporting access to viable private rental options.

On April 6 2023 we published “Scotland for Ukrainians: a guide for displaced people”. A comprehensive guide for displaced people from Ukraine arriving under the Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme, it provides clear information as well as signposting to trustworthy sources to empower displaced people to make informed decisions and to stay safe. It covers areas such as visas, travel, accommodation, housing options, safety and life in Scotland.