At least 1,520 refugees from Ukraine are being housed in temporary accommodation across Scotland, according to research from the Scottish Conservatives.
An investigation by the party has revealed 20% of refugees who fled to Scotland were still awaiting matches with sponsors as part of the Super Sponsor Scheme.
Information obtained from freedom of information requests to local authorities showed that 1,518 people and one family were still waiting in temporary accommodation as of June 2022.
The City of Edinburgh Council was the only local authority not to reply to the request, as it said it did not have access to the figures.
However, the party suggested that because between 1600 and 1700 refugees in Edinburgh are being housed on the MS Victoria, it is likely that the true figure across the country is even higher.
Councils in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Highland and Renfrewshire reported that the number of people residing in temporary accommodation is sitting at more than 70%.
The Scottish Conservatives have now called on the Scottish Government to act in order to find homes for Ukrainians seeking safety.
The party’s housing spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “This scheme was supposed to offer refugees a sense of stability, but today thousands are still facing an uncertain future without a sponsor.
“It is essential that Ukrainians who have fled the war are able to find a real community in Scotland where they can rebuild their lives.
“Yet this can only happen if sponsorship is being properly promoted, something which the SNP Government is failing to do.
“We cannot be allowed to simply forget about these refugees, and more must be done to settle them properly.
“That is why we are calling on the SNP Government to act now to promote sponsorship and help vulnerable refugees find a home.”
Neil Gray, minister with special responsibilities for refugees from Ukraine, said: “We are pleased that thanks in large part to our Super Sponsor Scheme, we are now providing safe accommodation to more displaced people from Ukraine per head of population than any other part of the UK.
“Since the conflict began, almost 15,000 people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived, representing 17.6% of all UK arrivals, the most per head of any of the four nations. More than 11,500 of these arrivals are through the Scottish Government’s successful Super Sponsor Scheme.
“The Scottish Government is providing accommodation that is safe and sustainable whilst people are waiting to be matched to suitable longer-term accommodation.
“Significant action is underway to increase the temporary accommodation capacity as well as boost the matching system to maximise the number of people who can be placed with volunteer hosts who have completed the necessary safeguarding checks.”
