UK Refuses To Cancel Visas For Refugees From Ukraine

LONDON, March 7 – Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday dismissed calls for the UK to ease visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict, saying the UK is a generous country but needs to support screening of arrivals.

The United Nations estimates that more than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia began bombing its neighbor, and hundreds of thousands have poured into Poland, Romania, Slovakia and other countries.

Responding to criticism, the UK is not doing enough and is far behind its European neighbors in dealing with the continent’s biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II, Johnson said:

“We are a very, very generous country. What we want is control, and we want to be able to control.” he told reporters. “I think it’s reasonable, given what’s going on in Ukraine, to make sure we have the basic ability to check who’s coming.”

The British government has been condemned by charities, opposition lawmakers and France after its insistence that refugees get a visa first meant some Ukrainians were stuck in the French city of Calais, unable to enter the UK. More

The European Union has agreed to grant temporary residence permits to Ukrainians fleeing the invasion and give them access to employment, social security and housing for up to three years.

The UK has announced visa schemes for those with family in the country or a willing sponsor. Media reports over the weekend suggested that the UK had so far only issued about 50 visas for Ukrainians, though Johnson disputes that figure.

The Home Office later said that 300 visas had been issued under the scheme and were adding staff to meet the demand for appointments.

Labor Party leader Keir Starmer said: “There should be an easy route to safe haven for those who are fleeing.”

“The Home Office is completely confused about this, they keep changing the rules,” he told the BBC.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the UK is not doing enough. According to her, he should let the refugees in and deal with paperwork later.

“Running from terror in Ukraine, spending hours and hours and hours on difficult journeys and then jumping through bureaucratic hoops is shameless,” she told LBC radio.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told the Sun newspaper that she wants to create a humanitarian route that would allow any citizen of Ukraine to come to the UK. But European Minister James Cleverley said he did not expect existing requirements to change.

Additional report by Alistair Smout; Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by Michael Holden, Angus McSwan and Cynthia Osterman

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