Red tape hits refugee effort
Safeplaces group slams the Home Office
A new matching group set up to help get Ukrainian refugees into safe accommodation has lambasted the Government for its ‘frustrating’ visa scheme.
Phase One of the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme opened on March 18, for visa applications from Ukrainians with named people in the UK willing to sponsor them.
A new group, Safeplaces RBWM, has been set up to help match hosts in the borough with Ukrainians.
But group members Terri Markham-Wilson and Arti Sharma-Grey said they have found the process ‘frustrating’ and struggled to find guidance from the
Home Office or from charities.
Willing hosts are being put off by the difficulty of the process, the pair said.
“We have been completely inundated with Ukrainian families asking for help, and potential sponsors who want to help but don’t know how,” said Terri.
“It’s so difficult, it’s like a full-time job,” said Arti.
“More than full time, because you are getting messages all through the night – people saying, ‘Please help me.’ It’s very emotional.”
The visa application process has been particularly aggravating, they said.
“The turnaround is so slow, it’s a shambles,” said Arti. “One visa [application] takes one-and-a-half hours to complete. It’s dire.
“It took five hours for a lawyer to complete three visa applications,” Terri added. “I’m more than happy to spend my time helping people – it’s the red tape that’s draining.
“Everybody I’ve spoken to is struggling with the same thing.”
In one case, one family needed 17 documents for one application. Occasionally, glitches in the system caused uploaded documents to disappear, Terri said.
As such, it has been difficult for Safeplaces RBWM to advise on how long the visa process will take, and hard
for Ukrainians to plan when to leave.
“When do they make a decision to leave?” said Terri. “I can’t imagine what’s going through their minds, and we can’t say anything to ease their worries.”
The group has also struggled to help the 16- or 17-year-olds looking to come to the UK.
One 16-year-old Ukrainian girl ‘had no idea what papers to take’ and it was difficult for Safeplaces RBWM to find information.
The group tried to get help from Unicef, Children and Families Across Borders, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, only to be told it is not in the remit of these charities to help.
When redirected to Ukrainian-based organisations, the pair found that websites were down.
There are concerns, too, about the financial situation of those arriving – with some families leaving Ukraine with only a couple of rucksacks of possessions and little money.
“One family have 30 euros to their name,” said Terri. “They are asking what money they will survive on, while they decompress and find a job, and I can’t answer that question.”
“We’re going to have to raise the money ourselves. It’s the only way,” said Arti.
They are now looking to set up Safeplaces RBWM as a non-profit company and will begin crowdfunding. This will also help hosts with costs of preparing accommodation.
Donations, including time from volunteers or essential items from businesses, are welcome.
So far, the Odney Club in Cookham has supplied bedding to the group.
When asked about the Homes for Ukraine scheme’s complications, a Government spokesperson said: “The first visas were issued the weekend before last. [Since then], the Home Office have made the process quicker and easier.
“The visa form is shorter and valid passport holders can apply online and complete biometric checks in the UK.
“We have moved staff from across government to the Home Office visa centres, which are open seven days a week and processing visas for both for the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Schemes.
“We will set out full details of the visas granted through the scheme this week.”
Safeplaces RBWM’s Facebook can be found at facebook.com/Safeplaces-RBWM -108425101818397
The group’s email is info@safeplacesrbwm .org.uk