Over 250 refugees granted visas to stay with Essex families under Homes for Ukraine scheme

Hundreds of people across Essex have opened up their homes to people fleeing the conflict

Author: Matt Soanes & Ian Jones, PAPublished 8th Apr 2022

Around 250 refugees have so far been granted permission to come Essex under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship scheme.

The data has been published by the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

The scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor.

As of April 5, its estimated 4.3 million people have left Ukraine, fleeing the Russian invasion. A small number have been granted permission to come to the UK

Visas have been issued to local authorities based on the postcode of the sponsor's address, or of the accommodation address if the applicant is not staying with the sponsor.

The data is provisional and is likely to include some duplicate records, so may not be an exact record of the number of individuals who have been issued visas.

Around 4.3 million people have fled Ukraine since the war started in late February

As of April 6, the number of visas issued per area of Essex was as follows:

Essex total - 262

Epping Forest - 45

Chelmsford - 40

Colchester - 33

Braintree - 25

Uttlesford - 25

Thurrock - 20

Brentwood - 18

Southend-on-Sea - 18

Tendring - 15

Maldon - 13

Castle Point - 5

Harlow - 5

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