Ukraine War: Priti Patel on virtual applications for refugees

Ukrainians with passports will no longer need to go to a visa application centre to give biometrics from Tuesday, the home secretary has announced.

Priti Patel said "vital security checks" will continue on all cases, but the digital applications mean people will receive approval online and can then head to the UK from wherever they are. This meant that visa application centres could "focus their efforts on Ukrainians without passports".

There have been complaints from across the political divide about the Home Office response so far to deal with applications from Ukrainians fleeing their country.

10 March 2022