Only 1,200 Ukrainians out of 43,600 applicants have arrived in Britain so far in the three weeks since the Homes for Ukraine program officially opened. About 12,500 Homes for Ukraine applications have been submitted, but sponsors say a disproportionate number of families whose applications have been split explains why such small numbers reach the UK. It means that the mother’s visa is approved by the Home Office, but not the child’s visa or vice versa, which prevents them from leaving for the UK, as they can not travel alone. All Ukrainians, of any age, had to apply separately for their visa – including even a three-week-old baby. Viktoriia, a qualified nurse, has been granted a visa but cannot leave her 17-year-old son Mykhailo alone in Berlin to take refuge in her host Reigate’s three-bedroom house in Surrey because the application has not yet been approved. James King, a Conservative adviser whose father Paul will host the couple, said it was “simply outrageous” that the family had split up at his son’s request to wait another three weeks after they applied on March 19. , the day after the start of the program. .
“Ridiculous and inexplicable”
He said Viktoriia and Mykhailo, who escaped the Kharkiv bombing, had already been forced to leave their accommodation in Düsseldorf and had to move further east from the UK to Berlin. “It’s ridiculous and inexplicable. Viktoriia has a visa but her boyfriend does not. Why the hell is this happening? ” said Mr. King. Facebook support groups report dozens of host families and refugees in the same situation. “I applied for four visas at 18 and only one has been approved so far,” said David Stack. “I applied for two adults on March 18. One received an email. “The other has not received anything,” said Maria Shaw. Melanie Berthier, who coordinates a refugee group on Facebook and hosts a mother and daughter, said: “Some of them got their visas seven or eight days ago, but they are still waiting for the other family members to receive them. communication from the Ministry of Interior “. Because of the delays, Lauren Corbishley, an NHS mental health nurse, had to spend more than λί 1,000 to support her family – Yuliia Meshchierriakova, an accountant, her partner Glib, an IT specialist, and her daughter , Maryna, 17, – in hotels in Poland instead of seeing them live on the streets. She was told Friday that although the parents’ visa applications have been evaluated, the daughter’s passport details – submitted the same day – now appear to have been misled. “How is it that only 1,200 people have crossed the border to reach the United Kingdom? “The reason is delays like ours and because people are still waiting for their travel document permit, even though their applications have been approved,” he said.
