More Ukrainian refugees to be able to settle in the UK Priti Patel announces

Following intense criticism from Conservative and Labour MPs over the Government’s approach to the growing crisis, Priti Patel told the Commons yesterday that the adult parents, grandparents, children over the age of 18 and siblings of those already settled in the UK will now be eligible to seek sanctuary here.

It marked a rapid extension of the policy after originally declaring only immediate family members could come.

In addition, individuals and organisations will also be able to sponsor those without family links, to help them reach the UK.

Giving more details of the schemes, Home Secretary Priti Patel called for a “national effort” to offer sanctuary.

She told MPs both the family route and sponsorship route would allow Ukrainians to reside in the UK for an initial period of 12 months.

She said the sponsorship scheme would “open up a route to the UK for Ukrainians who may not have family ties with the UK but who are able to match with individuals, charities, businesses and community groups”.

Ms Patel said: “This is a very generous and it is an expansive and unprecedented package.

“It will mean that the British public and the Ukrainian diaspora can support displaced Ukrainians in the UK until they are able to return to a free and a sovereign Ukraine.”

Shadow Home Secretary and Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper expressed “considerable relief” at the change in policy, however she had a number of questions about making sure people will not be turned away.

She asked Parliament: “Does the sponsoring family member have to be British or have to have indefinite leave to remain? What about Ukrainians here on work visas, on study visas, who have come maybe as lorry drivers or on visitor visas?

“Surely she is not expecting to turn their families away? When people are fleeing Russian authoritarianism and war, I assume she will not be applying a test based on which bureaucratic box UK residents tick?

“Can she make a simple commitment now that family members from Ukraine who are fleeing persecution are all welcome here in the UK – no matter what visa their family member here in the UK has, that we will give them sanctuary?”

One York organisation has said that the city will make “very much a concerted effort” to welcome anybody who is fleeing the conflict.

Rebecca Russell, trustee at York City of Sanctuary told The Yorkshire Post: “For a small city, York has a really strong base and history of helping.

“And as a result I think we need to make a very much a concerted effort as a city to welcome any Ukrainian people who flee here.”

She added: “The official line of York City of Sanctuary is that there should be an absolute effort to make the process for Ukrainian people fleeing war, coming here, as easy and speedily as possible with putting out as little obstacles as possible or no obstacles at all.

“We need some leadership from the top on this one.”