Edinburgh Ukrainians living on a cruise ship have exclaimed it is 'Better than we could have dreamed report BBC Scotland. Earlier this month the first refugee began to arrive onto the ship docked at Leith.
The MS Victoria passenger ship aims to host 700 Ukrainian refugees and provides cabins, food and shelter for many families who were displaced due to the war in their motherland.
MS Victoria was commissioned by the Scottish Government until January 2023 and hosts more than 700 cabins. Prior to its current role hosting refugees, it sailed through the Baltic sea on leisure cruises.
READ MORE - Edinburgh pensioner missing as police issue urgent appeal to trace 79-year-old
Speaking to the BBC Nikol Bilous, 19, from Kyiv said: "The conditions on the ship are better than we could have dreamed of and we are very grateful to the Scottish people for this accommodation.
"There is Ukrainian TV channels which we were very surprised about as you never find that when you go on holiday. All the signs are in Ukrainian on the ship and most of the staff are Ukrainian.
"And last night we had Borscht beetroot soup, our national dish, we couldn't believe it. We were so happy to have this as it is our hearts."
She explained there were cinemas and theatres on board but there were issues with the lights because they were not working after the Covid lockdowns.
"But we don't need entertainment and were very surprised they were trying to do all this for us," she said.
"Edinburgh Council has been on board all the time answering any questions we have, so we have felt 100% supported.
"There is also Wi-Fi on board. It's perfect. The rooms are quite small but they are perfect and we are very happy and grateful."
The Scottish government says new Ukrainian arrivals to Scotland are met at a network of "welcome hubs".
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
They are then moved into temporary accommodation such as a hotel or the MS Victoria, where they can stay until alternative housing is arranged. The ship is guarded and anyone moving on and off will be subject to identification checks.
Earlier this month the Scottish government announced it was pausing its super sponsor scheme for Ukrainian refugees.
Ministers said it would allow staff to deal with a recent increase in visa applications. The latest UK government statistics show that 10,562 Ukrainians refugees have arrived in Scotland - 7,554 sponsored by the Scottish government and 3,008 by individuals.
READ NEXT:
- Heart-stopping Edinburgh clip shows teens attempt to scale Forth Road Bridge
- Plush Edinburgh hotel evacuated after smoke seen 'pouring out' from basement
- ScotRail confirm alcohol ban on trains will continue for 'foreseeable future'
- Edinburgh man missing for hours as police launch urgent appeal to trace him
- Edinburgh property: Inside the coastal cottage cheaper a 1 bed city flat
