Ukraine: 10,000 in Wales offer homes to refugees

More than 10,000 people in Wales have expressed interest in housing Ukrainian refugees, the Welsh Secretary has said.

Simon Hart said the response had been "remarkable", with 10,236 people registering their interest in the Homes for Ukraine scheme as of Thursday.

First matches for places are now being made, the Welsh government confirmed.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the "scheme will help people facing desperate circumstances who are in desperate need".

After criticism of its response to the refugee crisis, the UK government opened its new scheme on Monday, which gives sponsor households £350 per month to house someone fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Mr Hart said 147,500 people in the UK had registered their interest in the scheme.

It enables Ukrainians who do not have family in the UK to get a visa valid for up to three years, and the Welsh government confirmed the option to take up rooms under the scheme would be "available to people fleeing Ukraine from 26 March".

Mr Drakeford has also announced Ukrainian refugees can travel on Transport for Wales services for six months.

He said Wales has a responsibility to help people fleeing and to make sure "support services are in place when people arrive.

"We want Wales to be a Nation of Sanctuary, and we'll continue to do everything we can," said Mr Drakeford.

More than three million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion in late February.

On Thursday, a theatre where civilians were sheltering was bombed in the city of Mariupol, while a series of explosions were heard in Lviv in the west of the country on Friday morning.

Mr Hart said: "Wales has a long and proud history of supporting refugees and the response of people across the country to help those fleeing the invasion of Ukraine has been remarkable."

He added people across Wales were showing "extraordinary generosity towards those facing the most appalling and difficult circumstances".