MORE than 60 visas have been issued for Ukrainian refugees to stay with Argyll and Bute residents, new figures show.

The Homes for Ukraine initiative, or Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, was announced in February by the UK Government, allowing citizens to volunteer to house refugees fleeing the war.

Provisional government data from the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shows that 62 visas had been issued for refugees staying with hosts based in Argyll and Bute as of Tuesday, April 19.

Fewer than five have been issued in West Dunbartonshire, while for Scotland as a whole the total is 1,047, and for the UK it’s 12,500 – though just 1,200 had arrived in the UK through the scheme by April 5.

There is no breakdown in the Home Office figures for applications in Helensburgh and Lomond.