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The UK refuses to open its borders to Ukrainian refugees

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected demands for Britain to relax visa rules for Ukrainian migrants escaping violence, saying that while the country was compassionate, it needed to keep track of who was coming in.
Since Russia began shelling Ukraine, the UN estimates that more than 1.5 million people have fled, with hundreds of thousands flowing into Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and other countries.

In response to accusations that Britain was not doing enough and lagging behind its European neighbors in assisting with the continent’s worst humanitarian crisis since WWII, Johnson said:

“We are a country that is extremely giving. “What we want, though, is control and the ability to check,” he told reporters. “Given what’s going on in Ukraine, I believe it’s reasonable to ensure that we have some basic capacity to monitor who’s coming in.”

Charities, opposition legislators, and France have all slammed the British government for requiring migrants to first get a visa, which has resulted in some Ukrainians being detained in the French city of Calais, unable to enter Britain.

For up to three years, the European Union has agreed to provide temporary residence to Ukrainians escaping the invasion, giving them access to job, social assistance, and housing.

Visa programs have been announced in the United Kingdom for persons who have relatives or a willing sponsor in the nation. According to reports in the media over the weekend, the UK has only awarded roughly 50 visas to Ukrainians so far, however Johnson disputes this figure.

Later, the interior ministry stated that 300 visas had been awarded under the scheme, and that it was expanding its workforce to accommodate the increased demand for appointments.

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“Those fleeing for their life should have a straightforward access to refuge,” Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said.

“The Home Office is in a tremendous muddle over this,” he told the BBC. “They constantly altering the laws.”

Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, claimed Britain was not doing nearly enough. She believes it should allow migrants in first and deal with the paperwork afterwards.

“It’s outrageous,” she told LBC radio, “to have to jump through bureaucratic hoops after escaping the danger in Ukraine and spending hours and hours and hours on grueling travels.”

Priti Patel, the interior minister, told the Sun tabloid that she wants to establish a humanitarian path that would allow anybody from Ukraine to enter the UK. However, Europe Minister James Cleverly stated that he does not anticipate any changes to the present criteria.

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