Home Secretary Priti Patel
(Picture: PA Wire)Further visa changes to speed up the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Britain are being prepared by Priti Patel, a minister said on Monday as he denied that the system has been a “shambles” so far.
George Eustice said the Home Secretary, who has been under fire for the low numbers managing to flee here from the conflict, was “working constantly” to try to “simplify” the process and was ready to make the changes if necessary.
His comments follow figures showing that only 12,000 refugees from Ukraine have arrived in the UK so far out of the 3.7 million who have fled since Russia’s invasion began.
The tiny total is far below those in many other European countries and comes despite promises from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that Britain will be “generous” in welcoming those needing sanctuary.
Monday the Environment Secretary insisted that the system would be speeded up. He said: “I don’t think it’s a shambles. Priti Patel herself is on the case with this. She’s been very clear that she’ll make further changes, should they be needed.
“There’s already been some changes, removing the need, for instance, for Ukrainian passport holders to attend any kind of interview in person to allow them to come straight through... I know she’s working constantly to try and simplify that so that things work more smoothly.”
The Home Secretary has already apologised for the “frustrating” delays that have resulted in only 12,000 Ukrainians arriving in Britain so far out of the 41,000 awarded visas.
Some 10,800 with relatives in the UK have entered under the family scheme, out of 28,500 such visas issued.
Another 1,200 have come under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with a further 11,300 refugees approved to enter under the scheme yet to arrive.
It comes after a crossbench peer, offering her home to a fleeing family, warned that the UK’s Ukrainian visa scheme is “unwelcoming” and adding to refugees’ trauma.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff is offering space in her home to a mother and two children, but has been waiting for three weeks for their visas to be cleared through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
“The silence is awful... nobody can help me find out what’s happened to these people’s applications,” she said.
“I think there is a failure of recognition that this uncertainty is adding to the trauma that these people have already experienced. These aren’t just pieces of paper, these are people... and these are people who have lost everything.
“The message from the system is that the country is not welcoming them.”
