Leicestershire County Council sets up special team to support refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine

A special team is being set up by Leicestershire County Council to spearhead the effort to provide vital support for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians will be able to come to the UK and some of them will be welcomed to Harborough and Leicestershire – although no precise numbers have been outlined yet.

Officials say looking after the new arrivals will be a huge task.

So county council leader Nick Rushton has ordered a dedicated team be set up now to oversee and carry out the complex process.

The unit will work alongside partner agencies helping to make sure refugees have access to vital services and support including accommodation, safeguarding, healthcare, education, translation and employment.

Cllr Rushton said: “We are under no illusions about the scale of the challenge we face in making sure Ukrainians who have escaped the humanitarian crisis, caused by Russia’s brutal invasion and destruction of their homeland, find safe refuge here.

“The people, mainly women children and the elderly, arriving will have suffered horrendously and will have been traumatised by the violence President Putin has inflicted on them,” said Cllr Rushton.

“Our duty is to help them rebuild their lives so it is crucial we have a well-resourced team to co-ordinate that effort.

“I’m very pleased the Government has promised local authorities substantial financial support to help refugees.”

The council also chairs a Local Resilience Forum Ukrainian Refugees Group.

That provides a forum for agencies across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to co-ordinate their work on this critical issue.

Cllr Rushton again thanked people in Leicestershire for their “generous and supportive response to the Ukraine crisis”.

“I have been heartened by the number of people who have contacted me to say they want to do their part to help - whether that’s making a roof available or a donation or anything else,” said Cllr Rushton.

“I believe that on this issue we can, by working together, make a substantial and invaluable contribution to the humanitarian response to this crisis, assisting our residents who are stepping up in large numbers with offers of accommodation, and most importantly providing help to people displaced from their homes and communities in Ukraine.”

The county council and Local Resilience Forum will work to support various Government schemes set up to manage the settlement of Ukrainian refugees.

You can find more information about these projects on the county council’s Ukraine webpage here: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/community-schemes-and-funding/leicestershire-stands-with-ukraine-what-you-can-do-to-help