Ministers set to hire refugee ferry No2
SNP may ask British Army for help to deal with influx of hundreds of Ukrainian families
THE Army could be called in and another ferry ordered to stop SNP ministers being overwhelmed by thousands of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Scotland.
It is understood the Scottish Government fears it is struggling to deal with the influx after being forced to scrap its ‘super-sponsor’ scheme and finding it difficult to offer suitable accommodation.
SNP ministers controversially chartered a ferry to be moored in Leith, Edinburgh, which can house up to 2,200 people in just 739 cabins, sparking safety fears. But sources say there are plans to order a second vessel to arrive on the Clyde to act as temporary accommodation for even more refugees.
A UK Government source also indicated there has been a plea from SNP ministers for military support to provide homes for Ukrainians, although the Scottish Government insisted no ‘formal’ request had been made.
The Army has previously been asked to drive emergency service vehicles, set up Covid vaccination centres and help in A&E departments in Scotland.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that no formal request – known as Military Aid to Civil Authorities – had been lodged by the Scottish Government for armed forces support.
About 1,200 refugees are arrivthey ing in Scotland every week but the Scottish Government is struggling to find housing for them, resulting in the supersponsor scheme being halted with less than 48 hours’ notice.
The scheme, launched in March, allowed Ukrainian families to move to Scotland and name the Scottish Government as their sponsor regardless of whether they had a host family in the UK first.
Scottish Conservative local government spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The SNP Government’s so-called super-sponsor scheme for Ukrainian refugees – which they had to pause – is a classic example of them overpromising and underdelivering.
‘If they do have to go to the UK Government requesting support from our fabulous armed forces – and they admit are exploring all options – it would be no surprise and further proof that the SNP’s pursuit of positive headlines comes before the welfare of refugees.’
An MoD spokesman said: ‘The Ministry of Defence has not received a formal request from the Scottish Government to provide assistance with accommodating refugees. Under the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities process, defence always stands ready to respond to requests from civil authorities in line with established principles.’
A government spokesman said: ‘The Scottish Government is exploring all options to provide safe and secure accommodation as part of its warm Scottish welcome to displaced Ukrainian people seeking shelter. However, no formal request has been made to the Ministry of Defence to help house displaced people from Ukraine.’
The Scottish Government refused to say whether it was chartering another boat despite reports it is planning on mooring a vessel on the Clyde.
But it boasted about the apparent success of the ferry berthed in Leith, ignoring concerns about the impact on local people and its refusal to say whether it would adhere to international standards for refugee settlements.
The spokesman added: ‘The Scottish Government is continuing to explore all options to ensure that there is sufficient and safe accommodation for displaced people from Ukraine arriving in Scotland.
‘This includes the current passenger ship, docked in Edinburgh, which has received a very positive reception from the people on board.
‘Nearly 12,000 displaced people from Ukraine with a Scottish sponsor have now arrived – 15.5 per cent of all UK arrivals.’