‘Refugee visa delay is frustrating’
Ukrainians’ arrival at family’s held up
A FAMILY waiting to welcome Ukrainian refugees into their home have hit out at the delays plaguing the visa system.
Nicky Birch applied to the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme when it launched on March 18, in order to secure a visa for her daughter-in-law’s Ukrainian godmother, who fled her Kyiv home following the Russian invasion.
But Nicky and her family are still waiting for the visa to be approved several weeks later, despite doing everthing required of them.
Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the UK is granting entry visas to refugees who have a named sponsor who can offer them accommodation.
Nicky applied separately for a visa for her daughter-in-law’s mother under the separate Ukraine Family Scheme, which was approved much more quickly.
Both Ukrainian women, who do not wish to be named, are currently staying with Nicky’s ex-husband in Spain – the European Union has waived visa requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the war.
The Government has come under fire for the red tape involved in the Ukraine visa scheme, which critics say is making it harder for refugees to reach the UK.
Nicky says she accepts the need for checks, but she believes the system should be working better. The scheme is run by central government but local authorities – in this case Staffordshire County Council – have a role in checking the suitability of sponsors and their accommodation.
There are currently 183 sponsors across Staffordshire, who will be accommodating nearly 500 refugees between them.
Nicky said: “It’s just frustrating the length of time it’s taking. Fortunately the lady we are sponsoring has made it out of Ukraine and she’s safe, but I know there are plenty of other Ukrainians who aren’t so lucky. I don’t know why it’s taking so long, but the process needs to be improved.
“We submitted our application to be sponsors as soon as the scheme was launched last month, but the county council only came back to us to confirm our contact details last week – we’ve been paying council tax for years so really they should already have those details.”
The government says it is ‘surging’ staff, with night shifts and weekend working, and carrying out other improvements in order to speed up the processing of visas.
Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Communities said: “It’s really important we put all of the essential checks in place and ensure everything is set up properly for both sponsors and evacuees, as their safety and wellbeing is paramount.”
NEARLY 500 Ukrainian refugees are set to be welcomed into Staffordshire homes under a Government scheme.
So far, around 183 sponsors across the county have been matched with evacuees under the Homes for Ukraine initiative, offering accommodation for an estimated 478 refugees.
Staffordshire County Council is working with eight district and borough councils to support the scheme. This work includes checking the suitability of sponsors and their accommodation, working with schools to prepare them for children arriving, and working with GPS so that people can register and access services and support.
It is not yet known how long it will take for the refugees’ visas to be approved under the scheme, and some sponsors have called for the processes to be made more efficient after experiencing lengthy delays.
Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for communities at the county council, said: “Staffordshire people have stepped up to help those in need, and I want to thank every sponsor for generously offering to share their home with people in need. We are now doing everything we can to ensure evacuees from Ukraine receive a warm welcome in our county.
“Many people coming here will be traumatised by the events in Ukraine, so it is really important to have the right support in place to help them.
“This really has been a partnership effort – our district and borough councils are also playing a huge part in this, and we are working with them and health partners to ensure everything is in place. It’s our job to keep everyone as safe as possible, so it’s important we put essential checks in place and ensure everything is set up for when they arrive.”
Around 16,400 people had arrived in the UK under Ukraine visa
schemes by Monday, according to Government figures. About 13,200 had arrived under the Ukraine family scheme and 3,200 under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme, provisional data shows.