Ukrainian refugees in Wales will be required to pay for laundry services and some meals to speed up their integration into the local community, WalesOnline reports.
The changes will come into force in early January and will affect those refugees who have been living in temporary accommodation funded by the Welsh government for five weeks or more. Around 1,500 Ukrainians are currently temporarily housed in reception centres, hotels and holiday camps.
As stated by the regional government, these fees are “a way to reintegrate Ukrainian refugees into Welsh communities more quickly”. New arrivals can expect an initial five-week period, within which no costs are payable.
Under the new rules, Ukrainians will only have two opportunities to refuse an offer to move into long-term accommodation. If they refuse again, they will have to pay part of the cost of living in state-sponsored accommodation.
According to WalesOnline, the Welsh Government hopes that by encouraging refugees to take some of the responsibility, it will make them more likely to move into private accommodation. Meanwhile, “unconfirmed” evidence from local authorities suggests that some Ukrainians are refusing accommodation offered to them because they consider it unsuitable.
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