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Only 2,700 visas have been issued to fleeing Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme despite over 28, 300 applications being received, Home Office figures have revealed.
Releasing the latest data on Tuesday, the department said that – as of 29 March – a further 22,800 visas had been issued under the Ukraine Family Scheme out of 31,200 applications.
In total, 59,500 applications have been made across both schemes, with some 25,500 visas issued – meaning less than half have been approved.
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‘Shamefully slow progress’
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government has made “shamefully slow progress” on helping refugees flee Ukraine.
“British people [have] shown strong support but shambolic Home Office bureaucracy [is] letting everyone down.
“Tens of thousands of visa applications are still outstanding. Just one in 100 Homes for Ukraine offers have visas.”
Meanwhile, in a joint letter to Priti Patel and Michael Gove, shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy called on the government to speed up the process.
It said the government must address the “shameful scale of bureaucracy” that is “preventing desperately vulnerable people from reaching sanctuary in the UK”.
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It also called for clarity on the length of time taken for visas to be issued and how long security checks are taking.
The letter states: “While the response of the British public has been overwhelming, with more than 150,000 families signed up to open their homes, the system you have…
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Source : skynews
