Welsh Government to pause Ukraine ‘super sponsor’ scheme

The Welsh Government’s ‘Super Sponsor’ scheme for Ukrainian refugees will be put on hold this month.

The scheme, which was launched in March, has so far seen 2,000 visas issued to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It will be paused from Friday, June 10.

Wales’ Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, said: “From the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, our message has been clear – Wales is a Nation of Sanctuary and ready to welcome those fleeing war.

“We have had a very positive response to our Homes for Ukraine Super Sponsor route. We have seen visas granted well in excess of our initial commitment to welcome people.

“This temporary pause will give us the opportunity to refine the arrangements we have put in place to support people on arrival and ensure all public services, in particular local authorities, can continue to deliver a high standard of support.”

Ms Hutt added: “To be clear, this operational pause will not affect any current applications and people will continue to arrive in Wales as visas are granted and travel arrangements are confirmed.”

Ms Hutt praised Wales’ response to the crisis in Ukraine, which began when Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of the former Soviet nation in February.

She said: “The level of commitment to the people of Ukraine across all public services and wider society has been wonderful.

“The success of this scheme is due to all those individuals, organisations, businesses, local authorities and third sector partners.

“We can all be proud of the heroic effort in supporting the people of Ukraine, effectively demonstrating that Wales is truly a Nation of Sanctuary.”

However, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said he was “deeply disappointed” with the announcement and described it as a “failure”.

He said: “With the situation in parts of Ukraine continuing to deteriorate, it is of the utmost importance that this scheme continues.”

Mr Davies added: “No matter how they spin it, this is a failure. The scheme was introduced with much fanfare in April and it’s only taken eight weeks for Labour ministers to backtrack.

“Ukrainian refugees need support, and Welsh Conservatives want to see the scheme back up and running.”