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words by Jon at LASSN

The UK Govt position on how Ukrainian people can find safety in the UK is rather confused. As we wait for clarity, here are some resources, produced by other people

  • If you want to find out about local fundraising and collections – especially those led by people affected by the Ukrainian war – the Yorkshire Evening Post have covered activities here and here.
  • Leeds City Council has announced details of a major fundraising appeal to help those facing upheaval and heartbreak following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The press release regarding the ‘Leeds Together for Ukraine’ appeal to support Ukrainian refugees as they start to arrive in the city is available here: https://news.leeds.gov.uk/news/council-launches-leeds-together-for-ukraine-appeal-in-response-to-refugee-crisis
  • If you wish to give money to the larger NGOs helping Ukrainian Refugees on the borders of Ukraine, the London Mayor’s Office has a comprehensive list of places you can send money, inclusing the Disaster Emergency Committee.  
  • If you want to offer accommodation for refugees, Refugees at Home are registering new Hosts – although bear in mind you will not be able to specifiy “Ukrainian refugees only.”
  • If you want to find out more about the situation in Ukraine, and think about how to help locally – City of Sanctuary have produced an excellent page of resources 

The biggest barrier to Leeds folk providing a welcome and help to Ukrainian refugees is currently UK Gov policy.

If you want to ask why Ukrainians aren’t allowed to seek safety in Leeds yet, please write to your MP.

If you would like to take this a step further, and say how you fee about the plans to make it even harder for people to seek refuge in the UK, 

  • Refugee Action has launched an ‘Email your MP’ action calling for more routes to safety, as well as removing Clause 11 of the Nationality & Borders Bill. You can share here. 
  • Freedom From Torture has launched a petition on change.org also asking for a comprehensive humanitarian response and removing Clause 11 of the Bill. 

Finally, if you want to read an interesting piece on the way in which the war is being covered by mainstream media outlets- here’s an opinion piece which appeared on the Al-Jazeera website last month.



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