Rabbi's call for new host families for Ukrainian refugees

A rabbi says the cost-of-living crisis is forcing host families to end their support for Ukrainian visitors as he calls for more people to provide safe havens for refugees.

Maidenhead Synagogue’s Jonathan Romain has been a key player in the borough’s relief effort having set up the Open Arms charity to help those fleeing Russian aggression.

Scores of Royal Borough residents have opened their homes to Ukrainians through the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme launched in the spring, which enabled refugees to stay with hosts for a minimum of six months.

But with many now approaching the end of their stay, the issues of rising costs and a continued Russian threat in their homeland has left a question mark over the future of Ukrainian visitors in the Royal Borough.

The Government has been offering hosts £350 a month to help with putting up extra guests, with this payment continuing for both new and existing host families.

Rabbi Romain said that he has been overwhelmed by the generosity of residents during a time of crisis – but is calling on extra help.

“We now need to find new homes because there was always the hope that they [refugees] would be able to return much quicker – but clearly they cannot,” he said.

“People are struggling and we have come across some who have said they have had a really good relationship and are sad to see them go – but the bank manager says they are getting in the red.”

Rabbi Romain added that the problem many refugee families face is the prospect of having to move away again from a town where they have settled.

“Children have got to know their school friends and parents do not want to uproot them a second time,” he said.

“The refugees are very nervous – they do not know what their host is going to say. Having lived with trauma already, they are now living on their nerves again.”

Rabbi Romain thanked existing hosts for going ‘above and beyond’ to help and said that any potential new host families would be in the ‘lucky position’ of not taking in a ‘total stranger’.

“You will be able to be in touch with the current hosts so you can be fully in the know about the sort of people you will be hosting,” he said.

“It has worked so well; there has been the occasional hiccup, but it has been an enormously successful social experiment and I have been bowled over by the change in attitude.”

The borough’s situation is reflective of the rest of the UK, Rabbi Romain said, with hosts forced to say goodbye to their visitors through no choice of their own making.

“On the one hand they are facing economic issues of their own; on the other they do not want to let down the people who they have established a good relationship with,” he added.

Rabbi Romain said Open Arms has been ‘overwhelmed’ with interest and support since it launched at the start of the Russian invasion.

A Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the challenges that households are facing with the rising costs of living, which is why we are working with councils and sponsors to support them to continue hosting.

“All arrivals are able to work, claim benefits and we’re giving councils £10,500 per person to cover any additional costs, including emergency accommodation if needed.”

Email jonathan@openarms.charity if you are interested in supporting Ukrainian refugees.

For more information on Open Arms, visit www.openarms.charity