UK visas issued to Ukrainians rises to 300

This report is correct at the time of writing. However, some reports claim that the number of visas issued to Ukrainians is now more than 700. This is an evolving news story, which we will keep you updated on.

The UK government has announced that the number of UK visas issued to Ukrainian refugees has risen from 50 to 300. Workpermit.com recently reported that UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, had come under fire after it was revealed that only 50 visas had been granted to Ukrainian nationals fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland.

Despite more visas being issued, Labour MPs say the 300 granted is still ‘shockingly low’ compared to other European nations. The UK’s Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, described the development as “shockingly low and painfully slow.”

Earlier this week, the Home Office revealed that a total of 17,700 UK visa applications had been started by Ukrainian nationals, while 9,000 had not yet completed the application. Some applicants have said that completing the process is difficult because the visa appointment website crashed midway through.

Intense frustration

Ukrainian nationals attempting to flee their homeland to the UK have expressed their intense frustration and anger at the ‘bureaucratic hurdles and technical difficulties’ involved in securing a UK visa under the new scheme.

Meanwhile, numerous applicants have said that they are ‘stuck in unfamiliar countries on the border with Ukraine’, unable to get to the UK because of complications with the visa application process. 

Some said that they were having difficulty uploading crucial supporting documents for their application, while others said that the website kept crashing. Others claimed that there were no appointment slots available to finalise their applications, while others were dismayed at being asked to post documents to an office in Wandsworth.

Meanwhile, UK family members of Ukrainian nationals  - who are trying to help their loved ones reach Britain – said that they were ‘confused’ by the complexity of the UK visa form.

One British citizen, who asked not to be named, told The Guardian: “I understand they are under pressure with many applications, but the system is not flexible. This is a humanitarian crisis.”

System glitch

The anonymous source said that a glitch with the application system prevented her from submitting a UK visa application for her aunt and 14-year-old cousin who had fled Kyiv and are currently in Romania.

When she called a Home Office hotline, staff told her that they were ‘aware of an issue with uploading documents to the system. The unnamed woman said: “I’m furious with the process. My aunt has fled war, grabbed only important belongings, doesn’t speak English and desperately wants to be with family.”

Refugee organisations have blasted the government’s handling of the situation, saying that bureaucratic and technical issues highlight the need to replace the complex UK visa application system with a simpler, visa-free humanitarian refugee scheme.

Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director, Steve Valdez-Symonds, said: “Instead of persisting with its insistence on visas or on sponsorship schemes for traumatised Ukrainians fleeing an active war zone, the UK should be putting in place fast-track refugee arrangements.”

Meanwhile, Andriy Marchenko, the deputy Ukrainian ambassador in London, urged ministers to apply the proposed new scheme as a matter of urgency.

He said: “Ukrainians are known to be diligent, hardworking people who will be providing for themselves here. They will not overstay their welcome and at the end of their term in the UK they will return home to rebuild their country.”

Visa application centres

A government spokesperson said that the number of staff and appointments at UK visa applications centres had been increased.

Nataliya Rumyantseva, one of the few who has succeeded in securing a UK visa for her mother, lives in Britain and is of Ukrainian heritage. She said: “Not everybody can afford to spend several nights in hotels in Paris.”

“It creates a kind of existential despair in Ukrainians trying to reach the UK when they have to go through this after escaping from the war. The Home Office needs to simplify the visa process for Ukrainians,” Ms Rumyantseva added.

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