Ukrainian refugees love their cruise liner housing – but floating barges are to soon house Channel migrants

THE only refugees housed on boats in Britain say they love it so much they want to stay.

But they are Ukrainians fleeing a war zone — and on a luxury cruise liner rather than the floating barges expected to soon house Channel migrants.

This week ministers sparked outrage over their proposals to send asylum seekers to live on the vessels normally used for offshore construction projects.

But those on the MS Victoria — docked in Leith Port, Edinburgh — are impressed with the “five-star” facilities.

Lawyer Olena Bartyna, 39, who has been on the ship since September, is sad they will soon have to depart.

Olena, who is with her 72-year-old mother and one-year-old baby among 1,400 fellow nationals, said: “We have a cinema and a room for children where they can play and be educated.

“We have English classes and a psychologist to help cope with the trauma.”

Olena, from Kharkiv, added: “Our cabin is little, maybe six metres wide, but we have hot water, electricity and a good view of the sea.

“We’re really sad that we’re going to have to move out of it in the next three months.”

Daria Bondarenko was previously in a Holiday Inn with her daughters but prefers it on MS Victoria.

The mum, from Kyiv, whose ballet dancer husband Igor is still in Ukraine, said: “In the evenings there are cinemas, and they organise activities.”

Despite the warm welcome some hope to go back to Ukraine.

Alisa Liudmyla, from Kyiv, said: “I think that now I will go back to my real home, I miss my mother and brother who are there.”

Scot Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton initially had doubts about the accommodation.

But he said: “It is like a huge, all-inclusive hotel.

“The refugees have a shuttle bus that takes them into town and I wouldn’t make much distinction between staying on a cruise ship and living in a hotel.”