Responding to the Home Secretary’s statement today on support for
Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion, the SNP’s Shadow
Home Secretary MP said:
“Overall this package falls far short of what many have been
calling for, what is needed, and what our European allies
are seeking to deliver.
“Extending family visa routes to a broader range of family
members is a step forward, and a humanitarian sponsorship pathway
could have a role to play - but the Home Secretary has still
failed to answer many basic questions about gaps in the schemes,
how things will work, and how quickly schemes will be
established.
“Lots of Ukrainians already in the UK but without permanent
residence, have been offered very little; while families seeking
to flee here will have heart-breaking and impossible choices to
make if relatives – such as a niece or an aunt – don’t qualify.
Our calls for a comprehensive visa extension for all Ukrainians
in the UK, and for us to follow European allies in seeking to
waive visa requirements represent the only way to fully address
these concerns.
“While Community Sponsorship works well in the right
circumstances, it takes considerable time and effort – and speed
is of the utmost importance here. And it shouldn't be used as a
way for the UK government to avoid direct participation in
supporting refugees.
“The Home Secretary must also answer a fundamental question about
her anti-Refugee Bill. How can she justify criminalising a
Ukrainian who comes to seek asylum because they don’t have access
to these schemes? She must ditch the anti-Refugee Bill and
reaffirm UK commitment to the Refugee Convention”.
