LONDON – As humanitarian numbers in Ukraine grow, the UK government announced a program on Monday for UK residents to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, amid widespread criticism over the country’s limited roads for people fleeing war.
Introduced three weeks after the invasion began, the program, called “Homes for Ukraine”, offers a new route for Ukrainian refugees to Britain, which was previously limited to those join family members already living there.
The war in Ukraine has led to what the United Nations describes as the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War Two. So far, 2.8 million refugees have left the country, with most heading to bordering countries such as Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
However, a growing number of critics, including members of parliament from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party and opposition lawmakers, as well as President Emmanuel Macron of France, have criticized Britain for having not doing enough to help the Ukrainian refugees. In particular, human rights groups have complained about bureaucratic red tape for people fleeing war.
Despite expanding eligibility for Ukrainians who are able to come to the UK, the country still requires a visa, which, unlike countries in the European Union, has waived all visa requirements for those leaving the UK. out of the conflict, allowing them to stay for up to three years.
Starting Monday, people and organizations who don’t know anyone who is fleeing Ukraine but want to sponsor someone can register their interest. on a government website. And from Friday, Ukrainians and their immediate family members who already have relationships with specific people in the UK who are willing to sponsor them can apply for the programme, the government allows. know.
The government has said it will give the servers £350 a month, or around $455, per family hosted.
Michael Gove, UK foreign secretary for Upgrades, Housing and Communities, said there would be no limit to the number of Ukrainians who could enter the UK. adopted the new program and emphasized the need to “reduce bureaucracy” and make the process as simple as possible.
“Our country has a long and proud history of supporting the most vulnerable,” Mr. Gove said as he unveiled the plan to Congress, pointing to historic moments when refugees were brought to England. “The British people have opened their hearts in so many ways, I hope that many will also be able to open their homes.”
Earlier in the day, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that 21 Ukrainian children with cancer had been evacuated to Poland. was flown to the UK for treatment.
Opposition politicians remain critical of the government’s approach. Lisa Nandy, an opposition Labor lawmaker, said in response announced that, while she welcomes an extension of the refugee entry program, “a press release is not a plan, and we are deeply concerned about the lack of urgency.”
She said: “We are falling behind the generosity of other countries, noting that the UK government has been very slow in issuing family program visas and is now asking fugitives to war fills 50 pages of online documents.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Ukraine Family Program has received 17,100 applications and issued 4,000 visas, although it is unclear how many of those have come to the UK so far. according to the latest number from the government.
