Waive visa restrictions for Ukrainian refugees, urges Scottish Government

The First Minister has called on the UK Government to waive visa restrictions for Ukrainian citizens seeking to come to the UK, saying the response from the Home Office has not been good enough.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said the current offer to those seeking to come to the UK is "putting people at risk and causing distress".

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the package of measures to open routes was “very generous and expansive”, but she has stopped short of completely waiving restrictions.

Family members of Ukrainians already settled in the UK will be allowed entry – approximately 200,00 people – while a “humanitarian sponsorship pathway” will allow individuals sponsored by businesses, charities and community groups to get into the country.

Sturgeon said the UK must provide "rapid and appropriate support" to refugees.

She said: "It is vital that rapid, safe and legal routes be established immediately, cooperating with our international partners wherever possible."

"For those Ukrainians who were already in the UK prior to Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion, the UK Government announcement of temporary visa extensions and in-country visa category switching measures simply do not go far enough. Ukrainians in the UK should be offered the assurance that they will be offered protection in the UK for as long as is required, regardless of their migration status," she added.

Scotland’s external affairs secretary Angus Robertson said it was “shameful” that visa restrictions had not yet been lifted.

In response to a topical question at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Robertson said: “At the present time, the United Kingdom is not offering a visa waiver for people seeking sanctuary from Ukraine – shamefully, in my view and that of the Scottish Government.

“It is possible right across the European Union, including for our neighbours in the Irish Republic, to do so. The UK is saying that they are prepared to allow people to come here to work, if they have family members already resident in the United Kingdom. Apparently humanitarian pathways are set to be opened, if they are sponsored in the UK.

“Frankly, that’s not good enough. People need sanctuary, we should be taking them in.”

Opposition parties and some Conservative backbenchers have already urged the home secretary to go further.

A group of 44 Tory MPs – include Andrew Bowie and David Mundell – have written to the prime minister, asking him to make immigration routes as easy as possible.

The letter said: “The United Kingdom cannot flag or fail, our message must be clear: Ukrainian victims of war seeking refuge are welcome.”

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has urged the Scottish Government to provide funding to councils so they can house refugees, as well as making it possible for Scots willing to open their homes to Ukrainians to do so.

Cole-Hamilton said: “We need to be ready for what is coming. We hope that the UK Government will waive visas so that more Ukrainians can reach here. We’ve also witnessed the tremendous outpouring of support from Scottish people saying open our borders and we will open our homes.”