Ukrainian mum and son hoping to escape to Yorkshire have waited seven weeks for Home Office visas as their host speaks of 'devastation'

Solicitor Emma Collins, from Tadcaster, applied to host Tetiana and Zakhar Fishchuk on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme in May.

But despite being told by officials on several occasions that the visas were due to be approved, neither of the Fishchuks have been told they can leave their temporary accommodation in Ukraine to seek sanctuary in the UK.

Mrs Collins, 51, has lobbied her MP Nigel Adams and refugees minister Lord Richard Harrington for help securing the visas.

She said: “It’s been seven weeks, and over the last three weeks we’ve been told ‘it’s going to be coming.

“I was told there was an issue with my sponsor application as I didn’t put my middle name down, and they needed to do more checks.

“But they have my national insurance number.

“I was devastated on Friday when I went to meet a friend also opening her home who told me she’d got her visas through after just four days.

“I haven’t told Tetyana that my friend got her visas so quickly, because I just feel so responsible.

“I feel like if I’d got the application in on a different day, it might be different.

Mrs Collins said she had contacted a campaigning group to see if she had any chance of securing a legal challenge over the delays in visas being distributed.

Vigil for Visas are seeking evidence from people who have waited a month or more for their refugee’s visas to be approved.

Mrs Collins said: “I’m reluctant to start our own judicial review as we couldn’t afford it if we didn’t win, but I’ve got in touch with Vigil for Visas who are looking at legal options.

“I’m used to dealing with challenges, and I’ve never come across a process where I feel so helpless.”

Mrs Collins put an official complaint in to the Home Office about the delay.

A response read: “We know that some applicants have been waiting for three weeks or more for their application to be processed and we are working to resolve this and continue to speed up the processing of applications.

“Although I am unable to provide a timeframe for a decision, the Home Office will contact Mrs Tetiana Fishchuk by email as soon as a decision has been made on her son’s application.

A Government spokesperson told The Yorkshire Post: “We are proud that over 86,600 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK on our bespoke uncapped visa schemes, including through Homes for Ukraine.

“We continue to make improvements so the Home Office can speed up visa processing but it’s also important that we make appropriate checks to ensure the safeguarding of both sponsors and guests.”