From The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/23/homes-for-ukraine-whistleblower-says-uk-refugee-scheme-is-designed-to-fail) yesterday:
QuoteFigures show 40,000 UK visas have been issued under the Homes for Ukraine scheme – yet only 6,600 Ukrainians have arrived.
A whistleblower working on Britain's Homes for Ukraine scheme has revealed that he and his colleagues "don't know what we're doing", and claims the scheme has been "designed to fail" in order to limit numbers entering the UK.
Thank goodness we have a free press in the UK - able to publish such things to broaden the discussion.
QuoteThe whistleblower said he came across four or five cases each day in which a single child from a family had not received permission to travel, a pattern he believed was "too much of a coincidence" for it not to have been encouraged.
A government source said that family applications were "normally processed together" but cases differed in complexity, and that safeguarding processes were in place to protect children from trafficking.
Undoubtedly, the UK system of visas makes it far, far harder for guests to come here to "wait out" the war than for them to go to a European country in the Schengen area. It means that the outcome in the UK is likely to be that we have far fewer guests here than in other countries, and that the guests we receive are likely to be those who are very determined to come here, and have the skill to jump all the hurdles.
HOWEVER ... for the process of this group looking to bring guests from Ukraine to North and West Wiltshire, we have successes and welcome those who make it through the system with open hearts and arms.