LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The UK must expedite the visa processing for refugees escaping the conflict in Ukraine, according to the defence secretary.
According to the BBC, Ben Wallace stated that the government could and would do more to assist refugees, and that his department would assist the Home Office in speeding up the process.
According to the Home Office, the UK has given visas to 300 Ukrainian refugees under its new system so far.
It was reported that 17,700 applications to reunite with family had been submitted.
However, roughly 600 refugees remain in Calais, with many claiming they were turned away due to a lack of documentation.
According to French officials, about 300 people have been turned away while attempting to enter into the United Kingdom.
The Home Office said it was “in the process” of establishing a second visa application centre in France, but that the main centre in Paris would remain open.
People in Calais have been urged up until now to apply for their visas in Paris.
Some Ukrainians told the BBC that they had to wait more than a week just to get an appointment in Paris.
According to the United Nations, more than 2 million people have fled Ukraine’s conflict, the majority of them have sought refuge in Poland.
Unlike the European Union, which allows Ukrainians to stay in the country for three years without needing a visa, the UK has taken control on entry, with PM Boris Johnson claiming it was “sensible” to “have some basic ability to check who is coming in and who isn’t”.
For refugees fleeing the war, there are two main paths to obtaining a visa: having family in the UK or having a UK sponsor for their application.
Following accusations from France that the UK’s response lacked “humanity,” Home Secretary Priti Patel stated she had “urged a Home Office team” to assist in Calais, and denied the claims that people were turned back at the border.
However, a Home Office presence at a local administrative building vanished on Monday morning, and a sign outside a hostel where many refugees were living directed them to Brussels or Paris for visa applications, according to the BBC.
According to Véronique Deprez-Boudier, the sub-prefect of Calais, UK officials so far have turned away 286 refugees from the UK.
She told the BBC that it is “crucial” to “create a more organised staff” in Calais to help them obtain permits rather than forcing them to go elsewhere.
The Home Office has warned individuals not to travel to Calais because there is no visa application centre there.
Staff in appointment centres across Europe, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, as well as in the United Kingdom, have been “surged” to process applications as rapidly as possible while maintaining “critical security checks,” according to the statement.
