Just 1,200 Ukrainian refugees in UK homes under sponsorship scheme as 71% of applicants still waiting

Ministers accused of ‘squandering’ generosity of British public with ‘needless bureaucracy and delays’

More than 200,000 people in the UK have registered to host Ukrainian refugees under the route, but complex applications forms, difficulty finding matches and lengthy delays are slowing down the process (AP)

Less than 3 per cent of Ukrainians who have applied to come to Britain under the Homes for Ukraine scheme have arrived in the UK since the route opened three weeks ago, new figures show.

Ministers have been accused of “squandering” the generosity of the British public with “needless bureaucracy and delays” after government data revealed just 1,200 refugees have arrived under the scheme and more than 70 per cent are still waiting for a decision.

Around 200,000 people in the UK have registered to host Ukrainian refugees under the route, but complex applications forms, difficulty finding matches and lengthy delays are slowing down the process.

The new figures show that 43,600 applications have been made to the Ukraine sponsorship scheme, of which 12,500 have led to visas being issued, while just 1,200 people have arrived in the UK.

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Millions of Ukranians have fled their homeland since the war started (REUTERS)

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "This is scandalous and shameful. Over thirty thousand people with British sponsors waiting are still stuck in limbo - around half of whom have been waiting more than ten days already to hear anything.

“A shocking 70 per cent of Homes for Ukraine applications are still waiting for a visa. Behind these numbers are many desperate mothers and children in temporary accommodation or still sheltering in Ukraine.

"Where is the home secretary? She needs to stop hiding and account for this national disgrace. British families have offered Ukrainians sanctuary in their hour of need, but the home secretary is letting everyone down."

It comes as Priti Patel said she apologised “with frustration” about the time it is taking for Ukrainian refugees to arrive in the UK under the two visa schemes.

In a pre-recorded interview with the BBC, which aired on Friday, she said: “I apologise with frustration myself ... it takes time to start up a new route.”

However, Ms Patel denied claims that the visa requirements are causing unnecessary delays, insisting the UK will “absolutely see changes in numbers” as work continues.

She said it was “always easy to blame someone else” – but insisted that security checks “are not the problem” when it comes to the time it is taking for Ukrainian refugees to reach the UK.

Responding to the latest figures, leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey MP said: “Tens of thousands of British families have offered to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees, but the government is squandering their amazing generosity with needless bureaucracy and delays.

“It is appalling that such a tiny number of refugees have been allowed into the UK, more than a month after the home secretary announced this scheme. This is a humanitarian emergency, but Priti Patel is putting paperwork before people.”

Devastating attacks continue across the country (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

In once case, Lauren, an NHS nurse living in Devon, applied for a sponsorship visa on the day the Homes for Ukraine scheme opened on 18 March, but has heard nothing since, and the family she is trying to sponsor remain in limbo in Poland.  

“The stressful, emotional impact that this government is causing to people like me that are trying to help families fleeing war is horrendous. Why are the government not helping me to help others? They are causing me and so many other potential hosts real distress,” she said.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of Refugee Council, accused ministers of “choosing control over compassion” when it comes to granting refugees protection, adding that the visa schemes were “unfit for purpose”.

“Asking Ukrainian families, who are scared, exhausted, and traumatised to fill out a long, and complex visa application is unacceptable and totally out of touch with the terrifying situation they find themselves in,” he added.    

"The British public stepped forward in their tens of thousands to welcome Ukrainians into their homes, yet we are hearing they have been left feeling angry and frustrated that their gesture of support has been lost into a web of bureaucracy and chaos.”

Alex Fraser, of the British Red Cross, urged the UK government to temporarily lift visa requirements so more people can reach the UK quickly and safely.

“Complicated visa schemes have delayed or deterred many people from seeking safety in the UK [...] In our view, the quickest way to help people right now is for the UK Government to stop the need for visas for those fleeing Ukraine. This would also bring the UK in line with a great many other countries who have been doing this since the start of the crisis.

“Security checks would still happen on arrival, but this would free up the capacity of the authorities to help people as they arrive, instead of wading through visa applications.”

This map shows the extent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images)

The Home Office has said there are “various reasons” why Ukrainians are waiting before travelling to the UK, with some having applied for visas so they have the option of travelling to the UK but are currently staying in countries near the border so they can get back to Ukraine sooner.

A government spokesperson said: “In response to Putin’s barbaric invasion we have launched one of the fastest and biggest visa schemes in UK history. In just four weeks, over 40,000 visas have been issued so people can rebuild their lives in the UK.”

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.