Red tape holding up asylum hopes for Ukrainian boy
EAST YORKSHIRE COUPLE HELPING TEEN
AN East Yorkshire couple claim they are being thwarted in their attempts to offer sanctuary to a teenager trying to escape war-stricken Ukraine.
Joseph and Jeanette Kleijnen opened their home in Sunk Island to two young people as part of the Homes4ukraine scheme.
The couple made two applications, one on behalf of unaccompanied minor Andrii, 17, on March 18, and another for medical student Marta, 23, on March 24.
While the second application was immediately accepted, with Marta arriving two weeks later, the application for Andrii has received no response from the Home Office, it is claimed.
He remains stuck in Amsterdam.
Hull-based immigration lawyer Jayne Mercer, from the charity Community Integration Advocacy Centre (CIAC), is helping the Kleijnens and says the case highlights the problem being faced by more than 42,000 people right now.
Ukrainians with sponsors in the UK are being blocked from entering due to Home Office delays when processing visa applications.
Joseph, a semi-retired physician and professor of 59 years and his wife, Jeanette, were keen to offer their help to Andrii, who had been living alone in Lviv while his parents, both doctors with military ranks, are supporting Ukraine forces.
On the same evening that the Kleijnens made the application, bombs exploded near Andrii’s apartment and, terrified for his life, he fled by train to Warsaw, Poland, then on to The Netherlands.
Jeanette Kleijnen said: “Andrii was alone in Amsterdam. Joseph flew over on March 22 to support his visa application and now they have both been stuck there for weeks, waiting for contact from the Home Office.
“We were put in touch with Andrii through Joseph’s colleague in Lviv. We got in touch with him to see if we could offer any help and he immediately connected us with his cousin, a 17-year-old medical student.”
From Amsterdam, Joseph said: “We had thought the visa application process would be quicker in Amsterdam than Warsaw so I flew over to the Netherlands on March 22 to support it and to support Andrii, who has no funds to support himself and no contacts.
“We attended the visa centre on the first available slot, which was on March 24, to complete biometrics and make the submission.
“However, we are still waiting for the Home Office to make a decision. In the meantime, both Andrii and I are here in Holland, just waiting.”
Jayne Mercer said: “The Kleijnens contacted their local MP Graham Stuart who, despite contacting the Home Office directly, has still had no explanation for the delay and suggested the team at CIAC may be able to help.
“I read through Andrii’s application and made some amendments in relation to the parental permissions for crossing the border in the UK, as well as explicit permissions in respect of education, housing, and medical care.
“By means of these letters, the Kleijnens were explicitly appointed as guardians for Andrii.
“The letter was re-drafted and signed. We then sent the document to Mr Stuart who was able to send it directly to the
Home Office using internal routes. I also sent it directly to the Home Office.
“We are all frustrated the lack of communication. This is just one case, but highlights the problem many people are facing.
“There is a huge disparity between the number of visa applications and the number of arrivals because inertia at the Home Office means people with an eligible place to stay, are being held up.
“With 19 years’ experience working with people seeking sanctuary, I’ve seen many parents who are so desperate for their children to be safe that they’ve sent them abroad alone.
“This is unimaginable for parents living in a safe country like the UK, but it’s the everyday reality for so many.
“I would like to see the UK government invoke Part 11a of the Immigration Rules, which would allow us to open the gates and process people later. This has never been used in the UK previously.
“However, it was designed for emergency situations such as the one we are experiencing now.
“Other countries are doing this across Europe and beyond, but our visa applications prevent tens of thousands of people from taking up place of sanctuary.
“The UK is simply not pulling its weight. We are the sixth-largest economy in the world and with empty properties and staffing crises across many sectors, we have capacity to support people from other countries.
“Simplifying the rules for immigration and allowing more refugees into this country is an ideal solution to provide a safe place and fill the gaps in our economy.
“Asylum support was designed for two to three months. Home Office delays have turned this into two to three years.
“A wasted time when refugees could be working and making a contribution to society and the economy. I want to see Priti Patel make a sensible decision to get things moving. It would be of benefit to everyone.”