Benedict Cumberbatch Opens Up His UK Home For Ukrainian Refugees

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022 which led to the exodus of Ukrainians, inevitably causing a refugee crisis. According to the United Nations, more than 11 million people are believed to have fled their homes in Ukraine since the conflict began, reported the BBC. The majority of the refugees are displaced while the others are seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Organizations have been doing their best to provide relief to the people of Ukraine and at the individual level as well, people are pitching in to help them out as much as possible. 

This includes actor Benedict Cumberbatch who is extending a helping hand to the Ukrainian refugees. Speaking to Sky News he shared the progress of the people he will be sheltering, "They've made it out of Ukraine, I'm monitoring their progress every day." He went on to explain, "Sadly, they are undergoing some medical treatment - to say anything more about that would be an invasion of their privacy, and too much about when they're coming and how that's being managed would invade mine - but I want to give them some stability after the turmoil that they've experienced, and that's within my home."

He will be opening up his UK home to the refugees with the help of the nonprofit Refugees at Home. He spoke up about the situation on Tuesday at the London premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to which he showed up wearing the Ukrainian flag colors of blue and yellow. "I've been trying to help other Ukrainian families - nationals that are UK citizens - to house their extended families en masse, which you know they want to do, but it's very costly," he said, adding, "So, I've been trying to help out with that financially in a couple of instances." He also praised the way people in the UK have been rising to the occasion but noted that there is still a lot that can be done.

"However gentle and generous and welcoming we are as hosts, we don't have the skills of the mental health professions to necessarily deal with those things," the 45-year-old actor stated. "I would urge people to seek out further help to bolster their efforts, and people are doing an amazing amount - it makes me very proud, very, very proud of our country and very proud of what we can be at our best as a human race."

The British actor has addressed the matter before this as well and at the British Academy Film Awards stated: “We need to push our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee … haven here for people that are suffering. Everyone needs to do as much as they can. I think already today the news has broken that there’s been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes. I hope to be part of that myself.” He has kept his word in the matter.