What are the premises and challenges of the homestay policy in supporting displaced migrants?

This blog post is based on an article published in the Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy by Aleksandra Grzymala-Kazlowska, Jenny Phillimore, and Marisol Reyes Soto.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many European citizens opened their homes to displaced Ukrainians. Homestay rapidly became one of the principal mechanisms for housing refugees, differing substantially from conventional protection systems based on institutionally provided accommodation. As a policy co-produced with citizens, homestay highlights the growing importance of welfare policy mixes, particularly in the context of shrinking welfare states and increasing welfare policy opposition. Despite challenges and precarities, homestay offers crucial housing capacity in contexts of housing shortages. If such policies are to be adopted more widely, it is important to understand how they function for hosts and what role hospitality plays in shaping relations between those providing accommodation and those being hosted.

Home hosting as a key policy in admitting Ukrainian refugees to the UK and Poland

In our paper, we examine how hospitality shapes relations between displaced migrants and individuals hosting them and consider what policy lessons can be learned from homestay experiences. To answer these questions, we conducted comparative research in the UK and Poland, combining policy analysis with interviews with hosts.

While both countries adopted hosting as a key mechanism, they did so in different ways. In Poland, the government reimbursed individuals, organisations and businesses for accommodating Ukrainians, minimally formalising support that had already emerged spontaneously. In the UK, the government adopted a highly individualised approach, placing much of the responsibility for resettlement in the hands of residents through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, supported by local authorities. Entry to the UK depended upon a household’s willingness to host, with hosts exercising considerable discretion over who they accommodated and where they lived. In Poland, displaced Ukrainians could stay either in private homes or in collective accommodation provided by state institutions, NGOs and faith organisations.

The importance of hospitality and reciprocity

We argue that homestay represents a new policy approach that harnesses available housing and citizen goodwill, operating as a form of macro-hospitality facilitated by the state. Both Poland and the UK implemented policies that enabled micro-hospitality while supporting it through financial reciprocity. This was the first time such policies had been implemented at scale, enabling urgent support for Ukrainian refugees on an unprecedented level.

Our research highlights three key dimensions of hospitality: selectivity, reciprocity and inequality.

First, selectivity was evident in both countries. This included preferences for Ukrainians over other refugee groups, but also policy-enabled selectivity that allowed hosts to choose who they accommodated. In the UK in particular, matching systems enabled hosts to express preferences relating to age, gender, family composition and educational background.

Second, reciprocity played a central role in shaping hosting relationships. Although arrangements were more formalised in the UK and more spontaneous in Poland, in both contexts hosts and refugees engaged in exchanges that extended beyond accommodation alone. Refugees benefited not only from housing but also from social connections and practical support.

In the UK, indirect reciprocity was institutionalised through financial compensation, and hosts were generally satisfied with this arrangement. In Poland, many participants began hosting before financial support was introduced and appeared less dependent upon it. Nevertheless, participants in both countries viewed financial compensation alone as insufficient. Some hosts did not expect reciprocity beyond gratitude, while others felt uncomfortable when refugees attempted to reciprocate excessively. These findings suggest that financial incentives alone cannot sustain hosting relationships. Without guidance on managing expectations and reciprocal exchange, homestay arrangements may become difficult to maintain or scale up.

Third, homestay is inherently shaped by unequal power relations. While hosting is often framed as an act of solidarity, it can also reinforce dependency and create tensions around reciprocity and control. Participants’ accounts revealed the conditional nature of hospitality, with expectations that refugees demonstrate gratitude, adapt to household norms and work towards independence. Being perceived as a “good guest” often required active efforts to meet these expectations.

Learning from hosting Ukrainian refugees

Our findings lead to five recommendations for strengthening the sustainability of homestay policies.

First, where rapid responses to displacement are required, supported matching based on perceived similarities may increase willingness to host. Allowing hosts and refugees to identify common characteristics, such as age, gender, professional background or education, may facilitate more stable relationships.

Second, because reciprocity is central to successful hosting, states should ensure that hosts are compensated for the costs, time and inconvenience associated with accommodation. Such support should be timely and straightforward while minimising opportunities for exploitation and excessive administrative burdens.

Third, local authorities and NGOs play a crucial role in supporting hosts and refugees, monitoring safety and facilitating positive relationships. In Poland particularly, this support infrastructure could be further strengthened through greater multisectoral cooperation.

Fourth, unclear expectations can undermine relationships and contribute to placement breakdown. Financial compensation alone is insufficient. States should therefore provide resources that help hosts and refugees discuss expectations before arrangements begin. Guidance on household rules, responsibilities and changing circumstances could reduce misunderstandings, power asymmetries and insecurity.

Finally, governments need to provide clarity about what happens after hosting ends. The absence of longer-term pathways created uncertainty for both hosts and refugees. Without clear transition arrangements, hosts may be reluctant to participate again in future schemes.

The future potential of homestay policies

Homestay offers an innovative approach to refugee reception and support, but further policy development is needed to sustain the host-hosted relationships on which it depends. The experiences of hosting Ukrainian refugees demonstrated both the capacity and willingness of communities to support displaced people. These initiatives challenged narratives portraying refugees as burdens on public resources and highlighted the potential for citizens to play an active role in refugee reception.

At the same time, our findings show that hospitality is shaped by selectivity, reciprocity and inequality. Effective homestay policies therefore require more than goodwill and financial incentives. They need support structures that help hosts and refugees negotiate expectations, manage relationships and plan for the future. If these challenges are addressed, homestay has considerable potential as part of future responses to refugee displacement and humanitarian emergencies.

Reference

Grzymala-Kazlowska, Aleksandra, Jenny Phillimore, and Marisol Reyes Soto. 2026. “Understanding the Role of Hospitality and Reciprocity in Homestay Policy. Support for Ukrainian Displaced Migrants in the Narratives of Hosts in Poland and the United Kingdom.” Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy: 1–17. doi: 10.1017/ics.2026.10095.

About the Authors

Aleksandra Grzymala-Kazlowska is Professor of Sociology and a researcher at the Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw, Poland.

Jenny Phillimore is Professor of Migration and Superdiversity, University of Birmingham, U.K.

Marisol Reyes Soto is Honorary Research Fellow in Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham, U.K.