Ukrainian couple told to travel to new country for UK entry

A Ukrainian couple who fled the Russian invasion have been told to travel hundreds of miles further to continue their application to enter the UK.

Tanya Noble, who lives in Bracknell, Berkshire, found sanctuary for her parents in Slovakia but the Home Office has told them they must attend an appointment in Poland next week.

Mrs Noble said she had been "desperate" to get her parents out of Ukraine.

The Home Office said it had a helpline and additional staff to help refugees.

Mrs Noble said her parents, who are both in their 60s, fled their home in Bila Tserkva, about 50 miles (80km) south of Kyiv, after it had been subjected to Russian bombing.

They escaped Ukraine on a 36-hour bus trip at the weekend - slowed down by a brakes failure and a flat tyre - to the Slovakian town of Martin.

Mrs Noble said she was helped by a friend in Bracknell to arrange accommodation for her parents, Nataliia and Volodymyr.

She is now trying to get them to Berkshire as soon as possible, but has found the UK government's system difficult.

An appointment she secured with the Home Office on her parents' behalf is due to take place in the Polish capital Warsaw, nearly 300 miles (482km) away from Martin. The Slovakian capital, Bratislava, is about half the distance.

She said: "I've filled up the application for them to come here, I've got all the evidence. [The Home Office] haven't even given the chance of [the meeting happening] in Slovakia.

"When I called the Home Office - I called about five times - [officials] said: 'We can't help you. They've got an appointment on 14 March. Somehow you need to make them go to Warsaw'.

"They haven't got money; they haven't even got underwear with them."

Mrs Noble's husband Robert said the way the case had been handled was "frustrating".

"Slovakia's an EU country, [the UK] have got an embassy there. Surely it's not beyond the wit of man to set up some sort of centre in Slovakia or an airport where they can get their documents checked and come here?" he said.

Maggie Filipova-Rivers, who is the deputy leader of South Oxfordshire District Council and a regional co-ordinator for the City of Sanctuary charity, said the system processing refugees from Ukraine needs to be quicker.

"What we have are these neighbouring countries that are mostly relatively poor countries having to shoulder the responsibility of this displacement.

"It's a hugely rapid displacement, one we haven't seen for quite some years," she said.

The Home Office last week announced a new scheme to allow Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come to the UK.

A spokesperson said: "This is alongside our Ukraine Family Scheme, which has already seen thousands of people apply, as well as changes to visas so that people can stay in the UK safely.

"We are protecting appointments for Ukrainians at all our Visa Application Centres, with a 24/7 helpline in place and deployed additional staff across the EU to help speed up the process further.

"This is a rapidly moving and complex picture and as the situation develops we will continue to keep our support under constant review," they added.

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