Safe at last
Ukrainian refugee, 12, arrives in London after hosts cut Home Office red tape
A 12-year-old Ukrainian girl has arrived in the UK after her host family had to jump over several “frustrating” Home Office visa hurdles, describing the system as “loaded with red tape”. Nikki Bennett, 49, and her husband Jason, 52, the founders of a charity working with children in Ukraine, waited more than a month for their application to be processed after they signed up to host Milana under the Homes for Ukraine scheme on March 18. Ms Bennett said earlier this month a “bureaucratic nightmare” was preventing Milana from reaching the safety of their London home – even though she knew the Bennett family and her parents had provided written consent for her to travel to the UK.
When the Home Office eventually contacted Ms Bennett after a month, it said Milana could only use the Homes for Ukraine scheme if her mother – who is in Ukraine with her husband and son, who cannot leave – travelled with her as the scheme has no provision for unaccompanied minors. But, in the end, Ms Bennett says, Milana was dealt with “as a slightly different case”. “In my mind there’s still confusion over unaccompanied minors,” she added, describing the application process as “loaded with red tape”. After various phone calls and “form-filling”, Milana’s visa was approved on Good Friday, and she was able to travel last week. Ms Bennett said she was delighted to be able to “hug Milana”, and that “she can feel safe”. Speaking from the Bennetts’ home, Milana said she was happy to be in England, where “everything was different” and she could “live a peaceful life”.