Benedict Cumberbatch wants to be part of the government’s Homes for Ukraine program, which will allow the British to take in Ukrainian refugees.
Speaking on the red carpet ahead of the BAFTA ceremony at London’s Albert Hall, where he was nominated for Best Actor for The Power of the Dog, Cumberbatch called for action to help Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.
Cumberbatch, wearing a Ukrainian flag badge, told Sky News: “This is a really shocking time for a European who is a two and a half hour flight from Ukraine and that is what is hanging over us.
“We all need to…do more than just wear the badge. We need to make donations, we need to put pressure on our politicians so that they continue to create some kind of paradise here for suffering people.
“Everyone should do their best…there have been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes and I hope to be a part of that myself.”
This morning, after criticizing the government’s slow response to the growing refugee crisis, new secretary Michael Gove announced the details of the “home to Ukraine” scheme.
Households that host a Ukrainian refugee for six months will receive £350 per month from government funding; people will be able from Monday.
Earlier this week at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, Cumberbatch raised the Ukrainian flag in support of the nation and said, “Stand as one for Ukraine.”