A cruise ship docked in Edinburgh has welcomed its first group of refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine. MS Victoria has 739 rooms and will initially house between 1,600 and 1,700 people. About 9,000 refugees have made their way to Scotland since the war broke out in Ukraine.
Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government, said the “safety and welfare of displaced people from Ukraine, who are primarily women and children who may have experienced much stress and trauma, is of paramount importance”. She said the ship was fully risk assessed and all crew members had child and adult protection training as a minimum. The vessel has been chartered as part of a £6.7m deal with Bradford-based firm Corporate Travel Management (North).
