UK government accused of ‘lack of humanity’ towards Ukrainian refugees

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) - The British government is being accused of showing a “lack of humanity” in helping the Ukrainian refugees who have fled the Russian war, with reports indicating that only 50 visas have been granted under the recently launched family scheme.

Many Ukrainian refugees are said to be waiting in Calais, a major port in France, for permission to join their families in the UK.

According to local media quoting the Home Office, at least 5,535 online applications have been submitted and 2,368 people have booked a visa appointment to submit their application and biometric information.

"Shocking - Ukrainian families turned away by UK at Calais & told to go back to Paris for a visa. Priti Patel needs to get a grip. Send an emergency @ukhomeoffice team to Calais immediately to sort this out today & get desperate people swiftly through,” Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary of the opposition Labour Party, said on Twitter Sunday.

“Only 50 visas granted under the Ukrainian Family Scheme even though thousands of relatives have applied. This is too slow. Too many hoops for desperate families to have to jump through. Home Office completely failing to understand urgency of crisis,” she added.

Earlier, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin had criticized the UK immigration authorities for turning away refugees attempting to cross the English Channel and protested the British government’s “lack of humanity.”

In a letter written to Home Minister Priti Patel, Darmanin urged Downing Street to set up a consular presence in Calais to issue UK visas to Ukrainian refugees attempting to cross the channel.

“It is imperative that your consular representation, exceptionally and for the duration of this crisis, is able to issue visas for family reunification on the spot in Calais,” he said. “Our coasts have been the scene of too many human tragedies. Let’s not add to that those Ukrainian families."

In response, Patel said she is "doing everything possible" to speed up efforts to issue the travel permits.

In another tweet on Monday, Cooper called for urgent action from the UK government to help the refugees.

"Total chaos from Govt. This isn’t good enough. Families are struggling, being turned away or waiting days for visas. We need urgent action to get people to sanctuary in UK. Home Office were warned wks ago by British intelligence that an invasion was coming. Why didn’t they plan?"

Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK would take in 200,000 people and “maybe more” as the humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the Ukraine-Russia war, with more than 1.5 million people having fled to neighboring countries.

At least 364 civilians have also been killed and 759 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN figures.

The war has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global companies from the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the imposition of sanctions by the West “akin to a declaration of war.”