A humanitarian hub has been set up at Luton Airport to support for refugees arriving from the war in Ukraine.
At the hub arrivals are met by volunteers from the Bedfordshire and Luton Emergency Volunteers Executive Committee, the British Red Cross and the Airport Chaplaincy.
They are given food and drink and guidance for onward travel within the UK. Paramedics from the Hearts First Ambulance Service are also providing mental and physical health support information.
Earlier this month a Ukrainian woman and her British husband flew into Luton on an early morning flight from the Romanian capital Bucharest.
Alan, 59, said: “It is terrible in Kyiv now. We left before it got too bad. They had just started bombing. We could hear if from our apartment.
“It took us three attempts to get on a train. It was absolute chaos. There were people pushing and shoving. The police were shooting in the air to try and control everybody, because there was just panic.
“On the train people had dogs, cats, birds. They were throwing luggage out of the train because there was not enough room for everybody. There was piles of luggage at the train station.
The couple left Kyiv at the beginning of March and went to a town close to the Romanian border, where a friend has an apartment.
Alan, who has British citizenship and permanent Australian and Ukrainian residency, said: “We stayed there for a little while before going across the Romanian border about a week ago. The volunteers at the border were outstanding. The people were so friendly.
“There is food and water and people to take care of you. They put you on transport. At the train stations they are giving out tickets and food.
“The support is incredible. Local businesses have signs up saying if you are Ukrainian they will give you discounts on food.“
The couple got up at three o’clock in the morning to catch the flight to Luton and were heading onto a farm near York where they have been offered accommodation.
Alan, who used to work in construction, described the Russian invasion as “murder.” He said: “It is genocide, but the Ukrainians are standing up. They are tough resilient people. They have been persecuted a lot over the years.”
Tatiana, 46, has two brothers in Kyiv. Her mother is staying in the eastern city of Kharkiv.
She said: “I have friends and relatives in Russia and they are being given all this propaganda about special operations. They are so brainwashed.”
Referring to the new hub, Councillor Aslam Khan, Deputy Leader, Luton Council, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those suffering in Ukraine, and alongside those who have fled their homeland as well as friends and family here in Bedfordshire and across the world.
“Once again Luton and the wider region has stepped up to the plate at a moment of great crisis and deep tragedy.
“In a short space of time many different organisations have come together and been working around the clock to provide a warm welcome and practical support to those whose lives have been violently disrupted by the Russian invasion of their country.
“As it did when establishing a testing site during the Covid pandemic, London Luton Airport has underlined its role as our community airport by hosting this vital point of refuge.
“Luton’s and Bedfordshire’s “can do” attitude is very much in evidence and I am truly humbled to witness the sacrifice so many are continuing to make to show Luton will always stand alongside the troubled and afflicted of this world.”
Alberto Martin, CEO at London Luton Airport said: “As an international airport we help to connect cultures, places and people, so it has been heart breaking to witness events unfold in Ukraine. We are proud of the support we provide to our communities and are glad we can play a small part in ensuring a warm welcome to Ukrainian families as they arrive in the UK”.
Felicity Cox, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICS Executive Lead and CCG Accountable Officer said: “The way in which organisations and individuals have come together to provide a place of support and refuge for those displaced from Ukraine is testament to partnership working and the generosity of spirit that we have seen in abundance across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes over the last two years.
“I truly hope that the support provided by the hub goes someway to giving those who need it most a degree of stability and comfort at the most difficult of times.”
Amanda Carcary, senior emergency response officer for the British Red Cross in Bedfordshire, said: “Kindness is so vital when people arrive in the UK after an experience like this, which is why our teams are trained to give emotional support as well as help people with practical things.
“We know that people are leaving family behind in Ukraine and enduring long, cold journeys to get to safety, so we are here to offer them a warm welcome. We have Ukrainian-language welcome packs with key information about life in the UK.”
