LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The UK is planning to open a new humanitarian route to the country for Ukrainian refugees, has been denied by a Foreign Minister, confirming that so far, just 50 people have been given visas.
The minister for Europe and America, James Cleverly, said the number of refugees processed “would go very, very swiftly,” but that it will take time because of processes to be followed.
The UK has only accepted 1.3 million or so Ukrainians who have fled the nation since Russia’s invasion if they have family in the UK, so far. The home secretary, Priti Patel, was quoted by the Sun on Monday stating that she was “investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian routeā.
It is believed, however, that she was referring to an established method of sponsoring a refugee by an organisation or a non-family member. On the BBC One Breakfast programme, it was affirmed by Cleverly that there were no plans for a separate humanitarian way for Ukrainians.
“No, this is what has been in place previously,” he explained. What needed to be done was to establish some kind of procedure. It was needed to knowĀ where they were staying, what kind of assistance they might require, and whether there are any kid protection concerns regarding child protection.Ā
While everyone wants to throw their arms up and be as kind as possible, there is a process that must be followed. It’sĀ going to be made as simple and quick as possible. There are no particularĀ goals or limit- ; all they want to do is contribute.
According to the Guardian, “a new route is being worked on”, said the Home Office.
When asked how many visas had been given thus far, Cleverly did not dispute a figure of around 50 as was reported.
Cleverly told Breakfast that he knew there were statistics circulating over the weekend saying there were only 50. He hasn’tĀ received confirmation yet.Ā As they move through this process quickly, there will invariably be a lot more than that, however, it can’t be said with certainty what the numbers will be.
Similarly, he did not refute rumours that over 5,000 Ukrainians were awaiting appointments or authorisation to enter the UK in Calais. These data are moving at a breakneck speed. This is an unprecedented influx. Pressure will be applied to all of our systems, all the way across Europe. There will be efforts to move as swiftly as possible so that people can seek refuge.
Ministers are under increasing pressure, notably from some Conservative backbenchers, to do more.
“It’s clearly not a success, is it?” Tom Tugendhat, the Tory MP who leads the foreign affairs select committee, said on LBC Radio on Monday when asked whether theĀ refugee scheme of UK had been a disaster. He added, what needed to be done was ensure that the Home Office follows through on its promises to provide assistance to those who are most in need.
“You and I both know that the British people are exceedingly generous. This isn’t some kind of shady scheme. It’s clear that people are fleeing for their lives, and we need to be right there to help them.”
When asked about the delays, Cleverly claimed there were protocols to follow and that “we’re making that process quick.” We need to know who’s here, where they’re staying, if there are any child support or trauma support difficulties.”
“You keep asking me the same question, and we’re looking whether we can support them, we’re looking to make sure that they can get to the UK, and we’re seeking to make sure that the process is speedy,” he replied when asked if the mental health toll of waiting at Calais was taken into account. You have to keep in mind that this circumstance didn’t exist two weeks ago.”
