The refugees minister has blamed Home Office red tape for the “unacceptable” delays to Ukrainians’ applications for refuge in UK homes that have seen just 2,700 visas granted in two weeks.
Lord Harrington, masterminding Michael Gove’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, said the visa process had been “too slow” and bureaucratic, admitting his own attempt to fill in the application form had taken an hour.
He said waits of two to three weeks for refugees to have their applications granted were “unacceptable”.
On Tuesday, The Telegraph revealed that some Ukrainian families have given up on coming to the UK because of the red tape, deciding to stay in other EU countries.
One source at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said there was “frustration” and “anger” at the slow start to the scheme, adding: “Everyone appreciates it’s a crisis and a new system – but it’s that familiar refrain that we have seen in endless committee reports that, when you flick the switch, not a lot happens.”
Home Office figures on Wednesday showed that just under 10 per cent – 2,700 – of the 28,300 completed applications for the Homes for Ukraine scheme had been granted, nearly two weeks after it officially opened. A further 170,000 people or organisations have registered an interest.
“There has been some talk, quite correctly in my view, that the visa application process, the actual filling out, is too slow,” said Lord Harrington.
“I agree with that. I sat down on Saturday morning and spent just under an hour filling one out myself, and I was sitting comfortably with a cup of tea rather than being a refugee, not in Ukraine but in Poland or wherever. We are going through every step of trying to shorten that form.”
