The UN wants to prevent single British men from offering their homes up to female Ukrainian refugees over concerns about sexual exploitation.
As Russia’s brutal invasion rages on, the number of people looking to leave Ukraine continues to grow.
To help facilitate Ukrainians with finding a place to live in the UK, a government-backed program called Homes for Ukraine has encouraged people living in Britain to register to become hosts for those seeking refuge.
But a series of factors – such as the ease of signing up for the program, a lack of adequate safeguards, and the fact that British hosts are required to connect with refugees online – have made it extremely easy for exploitative practices to take place.
The matching service is run by a charity called Reset and has only been operating for a little over a week, but reports of single Ukrainian women being preyed upon by their male hosts have already come flooding in.
The Homes For Ukraine scheme currently pays British hosts £350 per month for sheltering refugees. It requires that they commit to providing housing for a minimum of 6 months, but will only be paid for up to 12 months.
To gain approval, all that is required is a visa form detailing both parties’ personal details. Sponsors do not need to have a personal relationship with someone from Ukraine in order for this application to be approved.
So for far there has been a huge response, with over 200,000 people living in Britain signing up for the program.
While this may sound like an immense demonstration of goodwill, Government officials are reporting ‘matching failures’ as not everybody signing up for the program is well-intentioned.
More specifically, British men have been lying about having spare rooms, have made sexual advances towards Ukrainian staying in their homes, and have expected sexual favours in exchange for safe housing.
The head of safeguarding at the organisation Refugee Action has said that a lack of appropriate oversight during matching processes has led to the platform becoming ‘Tinder for sex traffickers.’
As a result, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) has told The Guardian that new steps must be taken by the UK government to ‘ensure women and children are matched families or couples, rather than single men.’
In the 1,000 approvals through Homes for Ukraine, at least 40 of these have already failed. The program has also been criticised by genuine British sponsors and Ukrainians for being ‘sad, slow, and frustrating.’
Turning to social media
In attempts to double down on their search for a potential host in the UK, Ukrainian women have turned to social media.
A Facebook group called ‘UK accommodation for Ukrainian refugees’ has over 56,000 members and is open for anyone to join. In exchange for a roof over their heads, Ukrainian women have started offering to become live-in housekeepers for British hosts.
But many are finding that men in the group are looking for a different kind of payment in return, as women continue to be bombarded with ‘creepy’ messages from men living in the UK.
One woman was told, ‘I have a large bed, we could sleep together,’ while another received a voice note from a man saying, ‘I am ready to help you and maybe you can help me also.’
According to The Times, one woman began receiving unsolicited explicit photographs on Facebook Messenger just minutes after posting a message in the group.
Refugee and anti-trafficking organisations are particularly worried about the use of Facebook as it is unregulated. Facebook has stated that it cannot remove the group from its platform because it does not violate any of its user conditions.
And though the UK government has defended Homes For Ukraine by stating that local councils are required make ‘at least one in person visit’ to a sponsor’s property, this only happens once someone from Ukraine has already arrived.
A government spokesperson has called attempts to exploit already vulnerable women ‘truly despicable,’ and reassured the public that all applicants will need to pass a Police National Computer check to gain approval.
Even so, it’s clear that a stronger vetting process for potential hosts must be implemented in order to ensure the safety of lone women trying to escape from what is an already dangerous situation.
And although everyone would like to believe that #NotAllMen have malicious intentions, the UN clearly believes the only solution is to prohibit single men from becoming hosts for single women altogether.
It’s unfortunate, but unless this happens, Homes for Ukraine risks being a government-backed program that facilitates in making an already bad situation far worse.
Deputy Editor & Content Partnership ManagerLondon, UK
I’m Jessica (She/Her). I’m the Deputy Editor & Content Partnership Manager at Thred. Originally from the island of Bermuda, I specialise in writing about ocean health and marine conservation, but you can also find me delving into pop culture, health and wellness, plus sustainability in the beauty and fashion industries. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
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