Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PRITI’S BROKEN
A UKRAINE MP has accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of failing to keep a face-to-face pledge that 30 refugee families would have UK visas within three days.
Lesia Vasylenko, 35, who took up arms to fight the Russians, says THREE
WEEKS later only ONE family has received their papers out of the group who all have homes waiting for them in Britain. Ms Vasylenko met Ms Patel, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove last month in a delegation with three other MPs from her homeland.
She said: “I feel let down. Priti Patel told me it would take three days, but only one family has received visas. If you give such a time frame you must have the resources to deliver. But it’s not working.
“The generosity of the British people is huge. Host families have been brilliant and text every day. But the bureaucracy is getting in the way of their big-hearted willingness to help. There are cases of children getting visas while parents do not. They should be processed together. People are opting to go to other countries as it is faster.
“The joke in Ukraine is that by the time the UK has done all the checks and balances the war will be over.”
Ms Vasylenko, an MP for Ukraine’s opposition Holos party, says both the
Home Office and Mr Gove have a full list of the families. The Home Office says of 79,800 visa requests 40,900 have been granted – but only 1,200 refugees without relatives already living here have managed to get into Britain under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “Priti Patel is putting paperwork before people.”
Ms Vasylenko also feels let down by the BBC in her battle to keep war children from falling into the hands of traf
fickers. Along with former Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley she has been pressing the Corporation to broadcast an international child helpline number. But the BBC refused. A spokesman said: “We don’t currently broadcast this helpline on the BBC.”
Of the 7.5 million children in Ukraine at the start of the war,
2.5 million are now displaced in the country while another two million are overseas. Ms Bradley said: “It gives traffickers the opportunity to exploit them. Unicef say they don’t know where many of these children are.” Ms Vasylenko added: “My major concern for children still in Ukraine is they will become victims of Russian soldiers’ barbarity.” The Home Office said last night: “We have launched one of the fastest and biggest visa schemes in UK history. Meanwhile, big-hearted Sunday Mirror readers have now raised £70,000 to help get Ukrainian orphans to safety.
To donate to our appeal backed by Labour leader Keir Starmer go to hopeandhomes.org or text HOPE 5, HOPE 10, HOPE 15 or HOPE 20 to 70300 to donate £5, £10, £15 or £20 to Hope and Homes for Children.
Child Helpline International can be reached on 116 111.