The public will be able to offer accommodation to Ukrainian refugees as the government announces a new route to the UK for those fleeing the Russian invasion. After criticism of the government’s strategy and the bureaucratic delays facing Ukrainians with family ties to the UK, the British public will be asked to house refugees who have no family ties who would be eligible to work, access state benefits and public services. Government sources confirmed to the Guardian a report in the Daily Telegraph that as part of the widening of the sponsorship scheme, individuals, charities, businesses and community groups will be able to register to offer accommodation and employment via a hotline and webpage. Those offering a place to stay will be vetted and have to agree to house a refugee for a minimum period. A senior source in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities told the Guardian it was still considering the length of time for which people from Ukraine will be able to reside in the UK under the scheme. Details of the new “sponsored” humanitarian refugee route are expected to be revealed on Sunday with a full announcement on Monday by Michael Gove, the communities secretary. The refugees are expected to be recruited by the Home Office and will require visas in addition to biometric and security checks. It comes after Priti Patel, the home secretary, announced that the UK is to ease its rigid entry requirements for Ukrainian refugees, enabling those with passports to apply for entry online and to have to give biometric details only after they arrive in the UK. Many have gone to Calais to discover that they could not apply for visas there and were sent to other cities, while a number of UK consular offices had limited numbers of appointments. On Thursday, Patel told the Commons that from Tuesday, such appointments would no longer be needed for Ukrainian nationals with passports. They could apply remotely and would be told when they could travel. The home secretary said: “In short, Ukrainians with passports will be able to get permission to come here fully online from wherever they are, and will be able to give their biometrics once in Britain. “This will mean that visa application centres across Europe can focus their efforts on helping Ukrainians without passports.” The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, welcomed the change, but castigated Patel for the system thus far, calling the treatment “a total, total disgrace, bringing shame on to our country”. She added: “I have to say to the home secretary: why does it always take being hauled into the House of Commons to make basic changes to help vulnerable people who are fleeing from Ukraine?”