Poll finds two-thirds of Brits want Ukrainian refugee resettlement scheme

Research carried out by YouGov in the wake of the Russian invasion on Thursday has found that 63 per cent of Britons would support the introduction of a resettlement scheme for those fleeing, with only 18 per cent opposed.

When asked how many refugees should be accepted, 17 per cent said a “few thousand”, while 14 per cent said tens of thousands, and 9 per cent were willing to welcome hundreds of thousands.

Presently, there is no legal route of Ukrainians to travel directly to the UK in order to seek asylum unless they have close British relatives.

Labour’s shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, said: “The UK has a duty to work with our allies to provide humanitarian assistance and support to those fleeing this horrific situation”. 

“We must also work with the UN Refugee Agency to make sure contingency plans are ready for further support and sanctuary schemes that will be needed and be prepared to play our part in further international action to support refugees”.

On Friday, a Downing Street spokesperson said the government was “working incredibly closely with Ukraine’s neighbours to help support them and Ukrainians fleeing the country”.