The length of visas for people fleeing Ukraine to join relatives in the UK is to be extended from 12 months to three years, the government has announced.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said this would give war refugees security and more time to find work.
However, Labor wants the scheme to be extended to Ukrainian refugees with no relatives in the UK.
According to the United Nations, more than a million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded last week.
And the UK government has been criticized for not being as generous as the EU’s plan to allow all Ukrainian refugees to stay for up to three years.
- Fleeing Ukrainians urge Britain to offer more support
- “Eight days of war like eight years”
- Labor calls for emergency visas for Ukrainians
The UK’s initial offer was to allow refugees with UK-based immediate family members to enter the country for up to 12 months without first having to apply for asylum.
On Tuesday, the eligible circle was expanded to include parents, grandparents and siblings.
Tania Shevereva, 30, and her mother Iryna took refuge in the mountains when bombing began in Kyiv. They traveled 28 hours through Slovakia to reach Prague in the Czech Republic.
Iryna has been with her British partner Jock Mendoza-Wilson long enough to qualify for the government scheme.
But Tania doesn’t think she can join Iryna in the UK.
“Of course I want to be close to my mother. She’s got a problem with her heart and she’s crying all the time, so I’m worried about her,” says Tania, art director.
“If you’re around, you can check and make her comfortable. But when she’s far away, I worry a lot more.”
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Ms Patel announced the tripling of UK visa lengths during a visit to a refugee registration center on the Ukraine-Polish border on Friday.
“We give people the reassurance that they can come and stay for three years, that they have access to welfare and that they have the opportunity to work,” she said.
The Home Office has waived normal salary requirements or language tests, but security checks remain in place.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Boris Johnson said up to 200,000 people could be eligible to come to the UK.
However, Labor argues that the criteria for the scheme are too narrow as they do not allow people without relatives in the UK to be granted emergency visas.
“Most [Ukrainians] want to stay close to home, especially those who have had to leave relatives behind, but Britain must do its part to help people who are also in our country seeking support and safety,” said Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
According to the United Nations, almost 650,000 people have fled to Poland from Ukraine since the start of the war.
Hungary has taken in nearly 145,000 people, while Moldova has seen more than 103,000 arrivals.
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