Second ferry for Ukrainian refugees on Clyde

A SECOND ferry will be docked on the Clyde to house the growing number of Ukrainian refugees, it was confirmed yesterday.

As revealed in the Mail this week, another ferry has been chartered amid fears the Scottish Government is overwhelmed by its super-sponsor scheme.

The MS Ambition will offer temporary accommodation for 1,750 people.

More than 10,000 have now arrived in Scotland under the policy which allowed refugees to name the Scottish Government as its sponsor without a requirement for a host family.

The scheme was halted last month after SNP ministers realised there were not enough suitable homes and announced a ferry would be moored in Leith, Edinburgh, to house up to 2,200 Ukrainians. The Government said the

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second ferry will begin boarding refugees next month.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘The Scottish Government’s handling of the refugee scheme has been an unmitigated disaster. The scale of this humanitarian challenge has been clear for months but Scottish Government pledges have frequently outrun the practicalities.

‘We need a fresh push on securing volunteer hosts and more money for vetting them as soon as possible.’

Neil Gray, the Scottish Government minister with responsibility for Ukrainian refugees, said yesterday: ‘We are getting close to capacity for the temporary accommodation currently available, particularly across the Central Belt.

‘While areas like Glasgow and Edinburgh are more familiar to Ukrainians, we are encouraging everyone arriving here to consider other areas across Scotland.

‘We can guarantee anyone arriving here will receive a warm welcome from communities across the country, keen to provide support and open their homes.’