The family visa system created in response to the Ukraine war has been described as chaotic, with lawyers warning that refugees who have relatives ready to support them in the UK receive inaccurate information, ask for unnecessary documents and are asked to send their passports to all over the continent. Nearly half of the 35,500 Ukrainians who have applied to the program, which began on March 4, are still waiting for a decision – amounting to more than 15,400 people. The Independent spoke to refugees who have been forced to pay for their accommodation for weeks as they wait for their visa to be processed. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the situation “horrible” and called on the Home Office to simplify the process, adding: “The government has had months to prepare for this, and yet delays throughout the system continue to cause chaos and confusion. “They should also set up emergency centers along the main travel routes to provide assistance to Ukrainians seeking to reach the UK. “The Interior Ministry’s response has completely failed to respond to the scale and urgency of this crisis, and it is the Ukrainian families who are paying the price.” Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “As if the stress and uncertainty of running away from home is not terrifying enough, Ukrainians are trapped in a purgatory because of a visa system in ruins. It is simply unforgivable. The Independent raises money for the people of Ukraine – if you want to donate, click here for our GoFundMe page. “Ministers must leave the bureaucracy and let the refugees fleeing Putin’s bombs come here without having to apply for a visa – not a single pity will be lost.” Nataliia Tsvyakh, who left Ukraine on February 24 with her two sons, Mark, three, and Denys, five – leaving behind her husband and parents, who did not want to leave – said she was struggling to keep her children calm after waiting weeks to join her uncle and his family in the UK. Ms Tsyakh had to wait until March 17 to attend a visa appointment to submit photos and fingerprints. Her eldest son’s passport has expired, but she was told she could attach his application to her passport and she will make a decision within two days. However, Ms Tsyakh has since been informed by the Home Office that she has to submit a separate application for her son, which further delays the case. Natalia, Dennis and Mark took refuge in their basement when air raid sirens sounded before deciding to leave Ukraine (Nataliia Tsvyakh) Her uncle, Oleksandr Khanyhin, traveled to Romania on March 5th to help her apply. They stayed in a hotel in Bucharest for about € 70 (£ 58) a night and now have moved to a cheaper hostel – the four of them were staying in a room – which costs them € 30 a night. “It’s difficult, it’s like a constant pressure. They will give you the visas, right, what will we do if they do not give them? “This is in the back of our minds every day,” Tsyakh told The Independent. “When we first left, I told the kids I was going on an adventure. But they have seen planes fly and people cry. They ask me why this is happening. The eldest asks me why we are still in this hostel. “I just try to keep them calm and not get frustrated.” In another case, Roxy Savchenko left her home in Cardiff on March 2 to meet with Daryna Savchenko’s sister and Vladyslav’s 10-month-old baby in Warsaw after they fled Ukraine. Roxy Savchenko, right, left her home in Cardiff on March 2 to meet Daryna’s sister and Vladyslav’s 10-month-old baby in Warsaw. (Roxy Savchenko) He expected to be able to return to the UK with them in a few days, but more than a fortnight later they remain on the mainland, in Paris, facing a “ridiculous” visa process. Although they were initially told the baby could be included in Daryna’s application, they received an email from the Home Office on Wednesday stating that Vladyslav needed a separate application. They have now applied for him and are still awaiting a decision. The immigration process has been delayed after the Interior Ministry insisted that baby Vladyslav needed a separate visa (Roxy Savchenko) Ms Savchenko said: “They are enough for us. It’s all very very difficult. None of us should be in this situation. We could have returned to the UK three weeks ago. That’s ridiculous. ” Jennifer Blair, an immigration lawyer who voluntarily advises Ukrainians trying to reach the UK through the Ukrainian Advisory Program, said the application process was “chaotic” and “unsatisfactory”. He noted that “a good number” of applicants are still in Ukraine because they do not want to leave until they find a safe place to live, adding: “People are in danger of dying while waiting. “A lot of the research this week is about delays and we can’t say much to people. “We said from the beginning that the government should find a way to let people in and decide on their applications in the country, but there was no sense of reaction to the crisis.” Ms Blair described the situation as “truly horrific”, with some members of the family receiving visas and others not. “It’s very confusing and there is no way we can really solve it. “What will happen if they leave and then their mother is killed?” he said. The counseling program had also encountered a number of cases where applicants had been told they had to send their passports to another country to process their visa, Ms Blair said, citing two cases where applicants in Poland had been asked to post their passports in Germany. . Kerry Garcia, another immigration lawyer who supports Ukrainians on a pro bono basis, said: “The system is still a mess, which makes it very difficult to help people. “The emails sent by the Ministry of Interior do not make sense. It is impossible to communicate with anyone, lists of documents are created asking for unnecessary documents, the electronic system was restored on Tuesday last week, so the documents we had uploaded disappeared. “There is no clarity about the process and in the end it is incredibly disappointing for everyone involved. “I have been dealing with immigration for almost 20 years and while the system is not perfect, I have never experienced anything as bad as this.” A government spokesman said: “We are moving forward as quickly as possible to ensure that those fleeing the horrific persecution in Ukraine can find safety in the United Kingdom. “We have simplified the visa application process so that holders of valid passports no longer have to wait for personal appointments before they arrive and we have made changes to our forms to help people get through the process as quickly as possible.” The Independent has a proud campaign history for the rights of the most vulnerable and we first launched our “Welcome Refugees” campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and start this report on In the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we call on the government to move faster and faster to secure aid. To learn more about our Refugee Campaign, click here. To sign the application click here. If you would like to donate, click here for our GoFundMe page.
