‘Border farce’: UK slammed over visa delays for Ukrainians fleeing war
- Ukrainian civilians seeking refuge in UK held up by ‘delays and bureaucracy’
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson says visa checks needed for security reasons
A UK government watchdog and Christian church leaders slammed the interior ministry for its handling of visa applications for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion – with a Holocaust survivor said to be among those held up.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Rob Behrens said reports of “chaos and confusion” mirrored complaints previously received about the under-fire Home Office.
On Wednesday, he called for “unnecessary delays and bureaucracy” to be removed, and for the process to be better resourced, made more efficient and transparent.
Leaders of Christian denominations in London issued a joint appeal after meeting at the capital’s Ukrainian Catholic cathedral, expressing concern at Europe’s “greatest humanitarian crisis” since World War II.
“How can mothers with young children, the elderly and the disabled, who have travelled a thousand miles, be expected to complete online application forms in a language foreign to them?” they said.
“Times of war require swift action and flexibility, the easing of normal procedures, and the removal of complex bureaucratic obstacles that can easily turn hope into despair and resignation.”