Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis has said Ukraine’s refugee system needs to be ‘fixed’ after applying to take in a family – who are still stuck in the war-torn country awaiting visas. Emily said it had been 17 days since she found a Ukrainian family from Kyiv to stay at Worthy Farm – the site of the festival.
After applying for their visas the same day for a woman named Veronika and her family, they remain stuck in Kyiv. In a statement posted via a photo on Twitter, Emily said: “We need to fix the UK visa process for Ukrainians because it just isn’t working.
“17 days ago we met Veronika and her family and committed to hosting them here at Worthy Farm. Their visa applications were submitted the same day through the Homes for Ukraine program, but they still haven’t not been granted.
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“Veronkka’s family remains stuck in Kyiv. We need our government to take immediate action so that the thousands of British residents who are desperately trying to help people escape from a war zone can actually do so. “
The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched last month to allow British households to present themselves as hosts for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.
However, many have complained about delays in getting visas for those they want to help. A government spokesperson said of the scheme: “We are acting as quickly as possible to ensure those fleeing Ukraine can find safety in the UK through the Ukrainian Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine.
“We have streamlined the process so that valid passport holders do not have to attend in-person appointments before arriving in the UK, simplified our forms and increased the number of caseworkers while ensuring that vital security checks are carried out.
“We continue to expedite visa processing across both programs, with nearly 30,000 visas issued in the last three weeks alone and thousands more expected to pass through these uncapped pathways.”
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-08 08:55:35
