Still ‘Major Gaps' In Ukraine Visa Scheme Despite U-Turn

Priti Patel’s changes to Britain’s scheme for Ukrainian refugees do not go “anywhere near far enough” to give proper support to those fleeing conflict, the government has been warned. In a move to simplify the system, the home secretary announced that, from Tuesday, those who have fled the Russian invasion and hold passports will no longer need to go to a visa application centre to submit their fingerprints and documents before they come to the UK.

- May Bulman

But experts have said there are “still major gaps” in the government’s support for Ukrainian refugees, warning that people would still be required to go through a “chaotic and frustrating” online application process and called for “urgent clarity” on who will benefit in practice. Lawyers said many Ukrainians do not currently have passports and are still likely to seek out visa application centres for help with the “confusing” process of filling out applications.

The Independent’s Refugees Welcome campaign is calling for the government to go further and faster to help Ukrainians fleeing the war, with more than 183,000 people signing our petition asking ministers to provide more supplies of food, clothing and shelter for Ukrainian refugees and to do more to make the UK a safe haven for them.

Announcing the change in the House of Commons yesterday, the home secretary said it would mean visa application centres across Europe could “focus their efforts on helping Ukrainians without passports”. It is not clear how many Ukrainians do not have passports. In the five years to 2021, 16.6 million Ukrainians were issued an international passport, of a population of 44 million.

The announcement came over mounting concerns about “unnecessary delays and bureaucracy” in the visa application process for the UK’s family visa scheme, which was opened last Friday. Many refugees have been forced to wait for hours in the cold and travel for miles in order to complete the requirement of submitting their biometric information.

Changes to the UK’s scheme were followed by reports that the British public will be asked to offer homes to tens of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war.