REFUGEE PLAN FOR OTHER CONFLICTS
Minister wants wider scheme than Ukraine
A SCHEME for Ukrainians to shelter in Britain should be extended for victims of other wars, the Refugees Minister said yesterday.
Lord Richard Harrington called for the Homes for Ukraine project to be widened.
“It’s not perfect but it’s improving day by day, and I hope it will become a permanent part of how this country deals with refugees,” he told economic think-tank Onward.
Tens of thousands of British households came forward to offer spare rooms to victims forced from their homeland by Vladimir Putin.
Figures show that 53,800 Ukrainians had arrived under the family scheme and the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme as of Monday.
Some 107,400 visas have been granted under both schemes, meaning around half of those granted visas have arrived so far.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme has faced criticism over the time it has taken for refugees to receive visas.
Tory peer Lord Harrington highlighted cases of would-be hosts flagging on the police national computer as one of the difficulties hampering the system.
“There has been a lot of pressure on Ukrainian people,” he said. “They were waiting in the ether for far too long.”
The peer hopes that 48-hour turnarounds for applications “will become the norm”.
More than one million Ukrainian refugees have already returned home, the country’s ambassador to Britain revealed.
Vadym Prystaiko said: “We see Ukrainians are frustrated with the growing discomfort, the growing struggle with different systems.”
He expressed concern about refugees made homeless after falling out with British hosts.
Lord Harrington insisted there were “very few cases up to now”, adding: “There will be people who change their mind. It’s for us to set up a quick system [to rehome them].”