A seven-year-old Ukrainian girl has finally been told she can stay in Scotland with her mother, the Home Office have confirmed.
Anna Shutova flew out to Poland to rescue her daughter, Alina, after the shocking failures in the visa system were outlines for those fleeing war.
The Daily Record report that Anna, who works on a farm in the Scottish Borders, was told by the Home Office that her daughter was unable to stay in Scotland permanently, as she was only given a temporary visa.
READ MORE: Ukrainian mum forced to leave Scotland as young daughter hit by cruel visa delay
Anna was just about to fly back to Poland and give up everything she had built in Scotland, including her money, job and home.
Now, Anna has travelled to Warsaw for an emotional reunion with Alina, who is set to fly back to Scotland with her to live with the family of sponsor Catherine Oram.
Relieved Catherine said: “Everyone has been through all sorts of stress but I can’t really express how relieved we are that this is all getting sorted out.
“The situation seemed to have hit a brick wall and it seemed to us that no one was prepared to look at this case and see how absurd the delays were.
“But when the Daily Record picked it up, there was a dramatic change in attitude and we were contacted by an official who sorted it out very quickly.
“I would very much like to hope that the learnings in this case can be used to speed up things for other Ukrainian families coming to Scotland and the UK, as each one is a family in crisis.”
Catherine said she hopes to have Anna and Alina at home with her family within days.
The Home Office said: “The changes the Home Office has made to streamline the visa system... are working and we are now processing visas as quickly as they come in – enabling thousands more Ukrainians to come.”
