STILL only a handful of Ukrainians with homes waiting for them have managed to get to Britain, feeble new stats show.
Despite 55,600 refugees matching with generous hosts, just 3,200 have arrived – a dim 5.8 per cent.
And 30,500 of those fleeing Putin’s bloodbath for the UK via the flagship Homes for Ukraine scheme are stuck waiting for visas.
Combined with the family route for Ukrainians with existing relatives here, 16,400 out of 94,700 hopefuls have arrived on British soil in total so far.
Ministers insist they are whipping the clapped-out system into shape and are now motoring through 3,500 visas each day.
A team of 500 officials working seven days a week have been tasked with turning around the paperwork in 48 hours.
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Refugees Minister Lord Harrington, who was hired to bang heads together and turbocharge the process, vowed the system would improve.
He said “we are not complacent, we have already made a raft of changes and will be making more to simplify the visa process even further”.
Officials believe part of the reason for the low arrival numbers is Ukrainians applying for British visas as a safety net but never coming.
Many instead opt to go to other countries or stay close to the Ukraine border so they can easily go back home when it’s safe.
A government spokesperson said: “We know from partners on the ground that people have applied for visas so they have the option of travelling to the UK but are currently staying in countries near the border so they can get back to Ukraine easily.
“Others may have applied to a UK scheme but then decided to stay where they are or travel elsewhere.”
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Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.hellofaread.com/politics/partygate-row-compared-to-hunt-for-weapons-of-mass-destruction-in-iraq/
