UK’S total of war refugees tops 100,000

MORE than 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion have arrived in Britain, double the number of Jewish refugees who came to the UK to escape the Nazis in the run-up to the Second World War.

Government figures published yesterday showed that 104,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK since the start of the war on February 24.

A further 52,000 visas have been issued to Ukrainians who have yet to come to the UK. Another 32,000 applications are pending under the two schemes set up to help those fleeing the country.

It compares with 50,000 Jews who fled to the UK from Nazi Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia between 1933 and 1939. Some 100,000 refugees from Belgium, France, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark came to the UK during the war but almost all returned in 1945.

Nearly 6.2 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe as of Jul 26, according to United Nations data, with more than half applying for temporary residence schemes. Poland alone has registered more than 1.2 million Ukrainians.

The UK schemes – one covers those with family already in the UK while the other allows Britons to offer accommodation to those fleeing the war – initially faced criticism for being overly bureaucratic and leaving some refugees in limbo for weeks.

But Government sources said the process was now fully digital and it aimed to process applications within 48 hours. It will also now allow children under the age of 18 to apply to come to Britain without a parent or guardian if they have proof of parental consent.

Tamsin Baxter, of the Refugee Council, said: “We are proud that this country has welcomed over 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. It is clear the British public really want to help, and the warmth and generosity so many have shown in opening up their homes is truly inspiring.”