Scotland for Ukrainians: a guide for displaced people

Where to get support

Throughout this guide, we have provided information and links to organisations offering support to you at each step of the process. Here, we have listed some of the main links that you may need to get started. 

Visa and immigration advice

Please note that opening times in this document are provided in UK time.

UK Visas and Immigration

• The UK Visas and Immigration team can be contacted free at +44 808 164 8810 (or 0808 164 8810 if you are in the UK).  Lines are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:30.  If you cannot contact UK 0808 numbers, please use +44 (0)175 390 7510.

Ukraine Advice Scotland

Scottish Refugee Council provides free, confidential legal advice and information to people seeking protection including Ukrainians and their families on legal routes for seeking safety in Scotland. Advice services operate in English, but can provide legal advice in other languages, including Ukrainian and Russian.

You can contact Scottish Refugee Council by calling 0808 1967 274 on:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 09:00 and 17:00 (UK time)
• Wednesday between 13:00 and 17:00 (UK time)

Alternatively, you can contact Scottish Refugee Council by emailing ukraine@scottishrefugeecouncil.co.uk

Worker Support Centre

• JustRight Scotland’s Worker Support Centre provides advice and support on the seasonal workers visa for people of all nationalities. Find out more at: Workers Support Centre.

Scottish Refugee Council

• The Scottish Refugee Council operates a free helpline which you can call at 0808 196 7274. Additional information is available on their webpages.

General support

• The Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) provides advice to people arriving and living in Scotland. Their free helpline (0808 1967 274) offers advice with tasks such as immigration, bank account, accessing benefits, housing, education (Adults and children), language, employment, health and social connection. 
  SRC also provide online sessions on rights for refugees, which you can book online. They also lead on New Scots Connect, a national network to build New Scots’ social connections and enhance Scotland’s welcome to refugees

• Citizens Advice Scotland provide free, independent, confidential, impartial advice to everyone and can help you with information on bank accounts, legal support, housing, healthcare and employment. They can also provide you with support with foodbank and clothes bank referrals. Scotland's Citizens Advice Helpline (0800 028 1456) is open Monday - Thursday 9:00 to 15:00 and Friday 9:00 to 12:00

• The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) was created to develop, promote and support the interests of Ukrainians in the UK.  The Association has a network of local branches across the UK. You can access the AUGB Facebook pages of the Edinburgh branch and the Glasgow branch
• Help Ukraine Scotland is an Edinburgh-based volunteer organisation. They share relevant information with displaced people and host charitable events, demonstration and information sessions

Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassies and Consulates

Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassies and Consulates

• Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Головна | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (mfa.gov.ua)
• In case of emergency phone: +38 (044) 238-16-57

Ukraine representation in other countries

• Ukrainian Embassy in Poland – phone: +48-226-21-39-79
• Ukrainian Embassy in Romania – phone: +40-212-30-36-60
• Ukrainian Embassy in Lithuania – phone: (+370) 6 555 01 94
• Ukrainian Embassy in London, United Kingdom – phone: (+44) 20 7727 6312
• Ukrainian Consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland  – phone: (+44) 131 556 0023 or in cases of emergency or life-threatening situations (+44) 790 905 6906. Consulate of Ukraine in Edinburgh is also available on Facebook

Advice and information services

You can access support and information from a range of services across Scotland, including:

Aberlour Ukraine Children and Host Family Service

Aberlour provide family support to assist with newly arrived children, accompanying adults and the host family. They can also support unaccompanied minors and adults caring for them.

Age UK

Age UK provides information on rights and support for older people living in Scotland, including Ukrainian nationals.

Barnardo’s

Barnardo’s have set up a Ukrainian Support Helpline to provide support to anyone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. This includes therapy with a qualified psychotherapist, advice on housing, health services, education and employment, and practical support such as access to digital devices, toys for children, vital baby items and more.

Their helpline – 0800 148 8586 – is open from Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 20:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00. You can also email ukrainiansupport@barnardos.org.uk.

British Red Cross

British Red Cross provides information about services and emotional support. You can call their helpline on 0808 196 3651 from 10:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday, and 10:00 – 18:00 on Wednesdays. They offer Ukrainian and Russian interpreter services, as well as providing access to information about your rights. Available in Ukrainian and Russian.

To view all services they offer, visit their website, call the helpline number or speak to volunteers in Welcome Hubs or temporary welcome accommodation.

Disability groups

Disability Equality Scotland is an organisation for disabled people and disability groups/organisations. They promote equality, inclusion and participation for disabled people in Scotland.

Inclusion Scotland is working to achieve positive changes so that disabled people are fully included throughout all Scottish society as equal citizens.

LGBT+ support

The Equality Network promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality and rights across Scotland. The network has published a directory of LGBTI organisations.

LGBT Health & Wellbeing provides confidential and free support to improve the health, wellbeing and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Scotland.

Migrant Help

Migrant Help supports victims of labour exploitation, criminal exploitation, domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation (men only), non-commercial sexual exploitation (men and women) and victims of organ harvesting when they enter the UK Government's national framework; the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).  Legal support is available to advise you about this process before entering.

You can contact Migrant Help by emailing traffickingscotland@migranthelpuk.org or by phoning 0141 884 7900. For emergencies and out-of-hours contact, phone 0141 212 8553.

Police Scotland

Police Scotland is responsible for policing across the whole of Scotland. Police Scotland’s purpose is to improve the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities in Scotland. This focuses on keeping people safe in line with our values of integrity, fairness and respect.

Race Equality

Black and Ethnic Minorities Infrastructure In Scotland (BEMIS) is a national organisation supporting the development of the ethnic minorities voluntary sector in Scotland and the communities that this sector represents.

CEMVO Scotland is a partner of the Scottish Government Equality Unit. CEMVO delivers a range of programmes to over 600 ethnic minority organisations throughout Scotland to address race equality, social inclusion, capacity building and civic participation issues.

Links to further race equality organisations can be found at: Anti-Racism – Resources and Support.

Religion

Groups like the Inter Faith Network for the UK may help you to find a place of worship such as a local church, mosque or Buddhist temple.

The Ukrainian Church has one parish in Scotland and other parishes across England and Wales.

The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain provides information on Ukrainian community centres, Ukrainian Catholic parishes and missions and Ukrainian Autocephalous orthodox parishes across the UK.

Scottish Refugee Council

SRC is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people in need of refugee protection. 

Their services include:

• National Helpline (freephone 0808 196 7274), bilingual advisers can offer advice and information on immigration, finance, housing, health, education and other questions relating to living in Scotland
• Integration Service, accessible across Scotland. This includes: Your Rights Sessions online and face to face (Renfrewshire Hub, Glasgow hub), and one to one support with an integration advisers to develop an integration plan and help people to achieve their goals on housing, finance, health, education, language, employment and social connections

• Online resources, including Factsheets on rights and where to find help
• Welcome point at Glasgow airport to welcome newly arrived people. It also helps ensure access to Welcome Hubs managed by Renfrewshire Council

SRC works in the community to:

• Support Ukrainian led groups 
• Develop and coordinate Community Integration Networks to identify the needs and requirements of refugees from Ukraine and to mobilise and co-ordinate community assets to address these needs to support their integration
• Coordinate New Scots Connect - New Scots Connect is a new national network, led by Scottish Refugee Council, which aims to build New Scots’ social connections and enhance Scotland’s welcome to refugees

Scottish Women's Aid

Scottish Women’s Aid works to prevent domestic abuse. If you need support or if you are worried about someone you know, you can call the 24 hour helpline on 0800 027 1234 or email helpline@sdafmh.org.uk.    

SOHTIS (Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland)

SOHTIS (Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland) is an organisation that provide information and workshops which can help you to avoid exploitation or being taken advantage of in Scotland. You can find information on their website in Ukrainian. They also can provide you with advocacy if you are concerned or unsure about exploitation, helping you to understand and access the help you are entitled to under the law. SOHTIS also provides support for survivors of exploitation. You can contact them for assistance from their website.

TARA

TARA is an organisation that works to support women over 18 who have been trafficked. They provide information to help you identify if someone is trying to harm you. You can call them on 0141 276 7724 for help and support. Information is available in Ukrainian, Russian and English.

Third Sector Interface (TSI) Scotland Network

The TSI Scotland Network is a body of charities that support the third sector across Scotland. There are 32 TSIs, or Third Sector Interfaces, in Scotland – one for each local council area. TSIs support community planning, health and social care integration. They can help identify support needs for local community groups, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and around volunteering.

Ukrainians Welcome

Ukrainians Welcome provides information on living in the UK, education and services, with links to support from partner organisations.

Young Scot

Young Scot provides information and opportunities for all young people aged 11 to 26 in Scotland.