Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 6.74 million Ukrainians have fled, with 215,200 resettling in the UK through initiatives like the Ukraine Family and Sponsorship Schemes (Home Office, 2024). These schemes represent a shift in UK refugee policy, placing responsibility on private citizens to host refugees with financial support (Burrell, 2022). This research examines British hosts' perspectives on their encounters with Ukrainian refugees, initiated online via platforms like Facebook and transitioning into domestic spaces.

 

Using qualitative research and digital ethnography, 20 British hosts in the 'Homes for Ukraine' initiative were interviewed, revealing the impact of hosting on domestic life. Interviews were conducted via Teams and analyzed through content analysis, exploring the emotional, practical, and reciprocal dimensions of hosting. The theoretical framework draws on Derrida's (2000) concept of hospitality which defines the host’s control over conditions, and Silverstone’s (2013) view of hospitality as a moral interaction with strangers.

 

Findings highlight that British hosts often formed strong emotional bonds with refugees, referring to them as 'family' or 'friends,' and experienced significant changes in their domestic lives. This study positions refugees as both vulnerable and influential, contributing to migration and media studies by analyzing the shift from virtual to physical hosting and the role of technology in mediating these encounters. It calls for a deeper understanding of the host-refugee relationship at the intersection of hospitality, migration, and media.