The United Kingdom still demands a visa of the Ukrainians fleeing the war, a policy that slides with the opening policy implemented by European countries.
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The United Kingdom is the only European country to further require a visa of Ukrainians who flee the war and seek refuge in the country. And these visas are granted to the gout-record: the Home Office has recognized, Sunday, March 6, having delivered only 50 to Ukrainians trying to join their family in the United Kingdom, while at least 15,000 applications are in Classes ; On Monday, the number of visas granted had risen to 300. The Ukrainian Ukrainian community is estimated at about 100,000 people.
The comparison with the opening of other European countries to refugees is striking. Poland has already welcomed more than one million Ukrainians; Hungary, Moldova, Romania or Germany also open their arms. As for the European Union, it has granted them “temporary protection”, a residence right of at least one year, with substantial rights: they will be able to work, access housing, education system and medical care.
This lack of British generosity in the middle of humanitarian crisis – the greatest displacement of populations since the end of the Second World War according to the United Nations – shocks more and more the British, the political opposition to the Government of Boris Johnson, and even members of his Conservative Party. “The United Kingdom is far from doing enough for Ukrainian refugees,” lamented the Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday at the LBC microphone.
The Minister of the French Interior, Gérard Darmanin, denounced Sunday “the lack of humanity” of the British authorities, while at least 150 Ukrainians were blocked in Calais this weekend, prevented from crossing the Channel because Do not have a visa. To obtain it, London continues to demand that they present themselves – physically – at the British consulate in Paris or Brussels (after making an appointment online). Thursday, March 3, Mr. Darmanin announced on France Inter that his British colleague, Priti Patel, was going to “install a kind of consulate” in Calais. Thursday evening, contacted by Le Monde, the Home Office remained, insisting that it “there is no center to request a visa in Calais. People must not come to Calais [for that]”.
A hotline set up
Sunday, Mrs. Patel held “false” the accusations of Mr. Darmanin and Monday, a spokesman for Downing Street insisted: “A hotline has been put in place for people who need help [the +44 808 164 8810, calls are free], we strengthened the teams in our consulates of the adjacent countries of Ukraine and opened two roads to come to the United Kingdom. “A few hours later, adding to confusion, Ms. Patel Firstly affirmed the House of Commons: “We have an office near Calais, but not on the port” before confessing that this office “is not yet operational”.
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