Priti Patel has announced 100,000 more Ukrainians refugees will be able to seek sanctuary in the UK under relaxed immigration rules, but ruled out a visa waiver for all those fleeing the war citing security concerns.
The Home Secretary told MPs that Ukrainian refugees with family already in the UK would be able to stay for up to 12 months under the new regulations.
But after a year they will have to apply for points based or family reunion visa to stay longer.
This widens the UK’s current offer but does not go as far as the EU’s policy that states those fleeing the Russian invasion will not have to apply for asylum before entering its 27 EU member states for up to three years.
Ms Patel said there were fears Moscow’s troops and extremists could seek to come to the UK as she rejected calls to scrap the need for visas.
She told the Commons on Monday: “Through this extension alone I can confirm that an additional 100,000 Ukrainians will be able to seek sanctuary in the UK, with access to work and public services.
“We are enabling Ukrainian nationals already in the UK, giving them the ability to switch free of charge into a points-based immigration route or through the family visa route.
“We are extending visas for Ukrainian temporary workers in some sectors and they can now stay until at least December 2022.”
She said the new approach would “continue to keep pace with the developing situation on the ground and so far has already supported hundreds of British nationals and their families resident in Ukraine to leave”.
Ms Patel said the UK had also lowered various requirements and salary thresholds for Ukrainians with family in the UK.
“Over the weekend I have seen members of this House calling for full visa waivers for all Ukrainians,” she added.
“Security and biometric checks are a fundamental part of our visa approval process worldwide and will continue, as they did for the evacuation of people from Afghanistan.
“That is vital to keep British citizens safe and to ensure that we are helping those in genuine need, particularly as Russian troops are now infiltrating Ukraine and merging into Ukrainian forces.
“Intelligence reports also state the presence of extremist groups and organisations who threaten the region but also our domestic homeland.
“We know all too well what Putin’s Russia is willing to do, even on our soil, as we saw through the Salisbury attack.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said it was still “extremely unclear” what the details of the refugee scheme are and who they will apply to.
It comes as 38 Tory MPs demanded the Prime Minister goes further in welcoming those fleeing the war to the UK.
Members of the One Nation Conservatives group signed a letter to Boris Johnson on Monday stating he needs "to act now and act decisively" to help refugees.
The group, which also includes Cities of London and Westminster MP Nickie Aiken and former health secretary Matt Hancock, said the “next twenty-four hours are crucial” for Ukraine and the UK “cannot leave the Ukrainian people in any doubt that their allies stand behind them in every meaningful way.”
“We recognise that those fleeing their country do so out of fear for their lives and escape from Russian forces’ bombardments,” they said.
On Sunday it was announced Ukrainian nationals settled in the UK would be able to bring their “immediate family members” to join them.
But only spouses, unmarried partners of at least two years, parents or their children if one is under 18, or adult relatives who are also carers were covered under the scheme.
The letter, which was also signed by the former ministers Jeremy Hunt and Caroline Nokes, points to claims made by defence secretary Ben Wallace on Monday that he had “no doubt” that Britain will do more to help.
“The secretary of state for defence was clear this morning that the announcements about UK visas already made for Ukrainians were only ‘the first step’ in our package of support,” the letter said.
“He is right, this is only a first step and we must go further and act jointly with other European countries and share responsibility with them.
“We need to act now and we need to act decisively. We urge the UK government to provide as much support as possible to our European partners who are currently the first safe havens for Ukrainian refugees - namely, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
“We also hope our Ministers will seek a flexible and pragmatic approach to those Ukrainians wishing to seek temporary refuge in the UK until it is safe to return to their lives in their home country.”
