Ukraine The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti
Patel) With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement
updating the House on the Government’s humanitarian response to the
terrible, unjust war that Putin is waging in Ukraine. We are united
across the House in horror at what is happening, and the whole
country stands with the heroic people of Ukraine. I have come
straight from a meeting with our dear friend and colleague the
Ukrainian ambassador to...Request free
trial
Ukraine
The Secretary of State for the Home Department ()
With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement updating the
House on the Government’s humanitarian response to the terrible,
unjust war that Putin is waging in Ukraine. We are united across
the House in horror at what is happening, and the whole country
stands with the heroic people of Ukraine. I have come straight
from a meeting with our dear friend and colleague the Ukrainian
ambassador to London, and I have just heard at first hand about
some of the pressures and tensions inside the country.
Putin must fail in his assault on Ukraine. Working closely with
the Ukrainian Government and allies in the neighbouring region,
the United Kingdom is standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine,
sending military support and defensive military aid and training
thousands of Ukrainian troops, as well as introducing one of the
toughest sanctions regimes in the world. We are supporting NATO
partners, pressing for more economic reform and energy
independence in Ukraine, banning Aeroflot, and calling for an end
to Russian involvement in the SWIFT banking system.
We will continue to think robustly and creatively about what more
we can all do. As I said in the House yesterday, the Government
will table amendments to the visa penalty measures in the
Nationality and Borders Bill, so that we can slow down and,
effectively, stop the processing of Russian visas or those of any
state that poses a threat to our national security or the
interests of our allies across the world. The Government of
Ukraine have requested that the Russian Government be suspended
from Interpol. The UK wholeheartedly endorses that position, and
we are rallying other international partners to call for and
support it as well.
Yesterday I announced the first phase of a bespoke humanitarian
support package for the people of Ukraine, having listened
carefully to the requests from the Ukrainian Government. We have
already made significant and unprecedented changes to the
immigration system. We have helped hundreds of British nationals
and their family members resident in Ukraine to leave the
country, with Home Office staff working around the clock to
assist them. The right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and
Castleford () raised a specific case
yesterday, and I am pleased to confirm that the person concerned
has been able to travel to the UK.
Family members of British nationals resident in Ukraine who need
a UK visa can apply through the temporary location in Lviv, or
through visa application centres in Poland, Moldova, Romania and
Hungary. We have created additional capacity in all locations
apace, in anticipation of the invasion of Ukraine. That includes
a new pop-up visa application centre in Rzeszow, Poland, whose
total capacity is currently well over 3,000 appointments per
week. Our contingency plans have been enacted and are expected to
increase total capacity further to 6,000 appointments a week,
starting this week. By contrast, demand across these locations is
usually approximately 890 biometric appointments per week. There
remains availability of appointments and walk-ins across all
locations. Should more capacity be required, we will of course
deliver it. Our rapid deployment teams are already in the region;
the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office sent them in a
few weeks ago to support this whole effort.
I have also removed the usual language requirements and salary
thresholds for people to come to the UK and be with their
families. When family members of British nationals do not meet
the usual eligibility criteria but do pass all security checks,
we will give them permission to enter the UK outside the usual
rules for 12 months. This means that British nationals, and any
person settled in the UK, can bring over immediate Ukrainian
family members. Through that policy alone, an additional 100,000
Ukrainians could be eligible to come to the UK and gain access to
work and public services. There is no limit on the numbers
eligible under this route. Anyone in Ukraine intending to apply
under the family migration route should call the dedicated
24-hour Home Office line for assistance before applying.
Ukrainian nationals already in the UK have been given the option
to switch, free of charge, to a points-based immigration route or
a family visa route. Visas for Ukrainian temporary workers in
some sectors are being extended, so they can now stay until at
least 31 December this year.
As I said yesterday, I have heard some Members call for visa
waivers. Russian troops are seeking to infiltrate and merge with
Ukrainian forces. Extremists are on the ground in the region,
too. [Interruption.] I will continue, and perhaps I will take
questions from Opposition Members later. However, I want to
emphasise the seriousness of the security situation on the
ground. That is not something that can be discounted lightly. I
am sure that if the Opposition want a security briefing from our
colleagues, we will happily provide one, but I am very sceptical
about how they treat and respect security advice.
As I was saying. extremists are on the ground in the region, too.
Given that, and also Putin’s willingness to do violence on
British soil—and in keeping with our approach, which we have
retained consistently throughout all emergency evacuations,
including that of Afghanistan—we cannot suspend any security or
biometric checks on the people whom we welcome to our country. We
have a collective duty to keep the British people safe, and this
approach is based on the strongest security advice. These
measures have been designed to enable swift implementation—that
is the point: swift implementation—without the need for
legislation or changes to immigration rules. The Ukrainian people
need help immediately, and we are putting it in place now.
I can also set out phase 2 of our bespoke humanitarian support
package for the people of Ukraine, as outlined by the Prime
Minister earlier today. First, we are establishing an expansive
Ukrainian family scheme so that British nationals and people
settled in the UK can bring a wider group of family members to
the UK. We are extending eligibility to parents, grandparents,
adult offspring, siblings, and their immediate family members.
Again, the scheme will be free. Those joining family members in
the UK will be granted leave for an initial period of 12 months.
They will be able to work and have access to public funds.
Secondly, we will establish a humanitarian sponsorship pathway,
which will open up a route to the UK for Ukrainians who may not
have family ties with the UK, but who are able to match with
individuals, charities, businesses and community groups. Those
who come under this scheme will also be granted leave for an
initial period of 12 months, and will be able to work and have
access to public services. The Home Office will work closely with
all our international partners on the ground to ensure that
displaced Ukrainians in need of a home are supported. My
colleague the Secretary of State for Levelling Up will work with
the devolved Administrations to ensure that those who want to
sponsor an individual or family can volunteer and be matched
quickly with Ukrainians in need. There will be no numerical
limits on this scheme, and we will welcome as many Ukrainians as
wish to come and have match sponsors.
Making a success of the new humanitarian sponsorship pathway will
require a national effort from the entire country, and our
country will rise to that challenge. This is a generous,
expansive and unprecedented package. It will mean that the
British public and the Ukrainian diaspora can support displaced
Ukrainians in the UK until they are able to return to a free and
sovereign Ukraine. We are striking a blow for democracy and
freedom against tyranny. Above all, we are doing right by the
courageous people of Ukraine. We will help British nationals and
their families to get out of Ukraine safely. We will support our
displaced Ukrainian friends, and we will respond robustly to
Russian threats here in the UK. We will not back down. We will do
what is right. I commend this statement to the House.
1.20pm
(Normanton, Pontefract and
Castleford) (Lab)
People’s homes in Kharkiv have been shelled, children have been
killed and Russian tanks are now rolling in on Kyiv. The
Ukrainian people are showing immense courage and resolve in the
face of a despot and of unparalleled aggression. We need to do
our bit to support them, alongside the sanctions and the
equipment assistance, and that means being prepared to do our bit
to provide sanctuary. Families are being split up, often with
fathers and older children staying to fight while mothers,
grandparents and younger children are leaving to find safety and
sanctuary. Many of those families want to stay close to home, but
for those who want to travel to the UK to seek shelter with
family or friends and get the support they need at this dreadful
time, we must be ready to help. We must be ready to do our bit,
alongside other countries, as we have done in generations past,
and to give sanctuary to those fleeing war in Europe.
We have been calling repeatedly on the Government to do more to
help, and there will be considerable relief that they have now
changed their position and accepted that we must do more. In
particular, I am glad that the Government appear to have
completely changed their policy in response to our calls to help
elderly parents and wider family members. I am glad that they
have listened not just to those in this House but to people
across the country and, most importantly, to Ukrainians and their
families. I have many questions about how this will actually work
and how many people in practice it will help. I am concerned
about the way in which the Home Office has handled this, but that
is an issue for another day.
Starting with the family issues, we are glad to know that
Valentyna Klimova in Paris can now join her daughter, having
initially been refused. However, she has had to pay around £700
to apply for visas, having been initially turned down. Can the
Home Secretary confirm that that money will be refunded to her
and that nobody will have to pay if they are seeking sanctuary
from Ukraine? The statement also says that elderly parents,
siblings and adult children will now be included in the family
visa. Does that include stepchildren? I have been contacted by
someone who is desperate to get his stepdaughter and
granddaughter into the country. What about a young mum with her
children who has left the rest of her family in Ukraine? Can she
come and stay with her uncle and aunt? Are uncles and aunts
included? Does the sponsoring family member have to be British or
have indefinite leave to remain? What about Ukrainians who are
here on work visas or study visas, or those who come here as
lorry drivers or on visitor visas? Surely the Home Secretary is
not going to turn their families away.
When people are fleeing Russian authoritarianism and war, I
assume that the Home Secretary will not apply a test based on
which bureaucratic box UK residents tick. Can she make a simple
commitment now that family members from Ukraine who are fleeing
persecution are all welcome here in the UK, and that no matter
what visa their family member here in the UK has, we will give
them sanctuary?
What about people who have been given the chance to stay with
friends? We know that most people want to stay near Ukraine, but
what about someone who has left all their family but used to work
or study here in Britain? Can they get sanctuary here? Is there a
route for them? If the only route is the community route, I am
concerned that that will take a long time. Have the Government
considered an emergency humanitarian or protection visa that
could still include all the significant security and biometric
checks the Home Secretary has talked about but that could be done
swiftly and go broader than family members?
Can the Home Secretary also tell us about the community
sponsorship scheme? This is very welcome and important, but the
existing scheme takes a long time. It requires people to meet a
whole series of tests in order to be able to sponsor a refugee,
and it requires considerable fundraising. I know that many people
will want to be involved in it, but I know many who have been
deterred in the past by how complex it is. So far, it has helped
only around 500 people to resettle over a period of five years.
That is around 100 a year. How many people is she expecting to be
able to be helped, and what actions will she take to speed up
that system and ensure that it gets proper support?
I can see that the scheme is not a resettlement scheme, and it
does not appear to have active Government support. Why are there
no proposals for a resettlement scheme as part of this statement?
Has the Home Secretary looked at that? What plans are there to go
further and provide a resettlement scheme in addition to
community sponsorship? Finally, I want to ask the Home Secretary
about the figures of 100,000 or 200,000 that she has raised. I
have not been able to find anybody who can make sense of them or
explain the source of those figures, so perhaps she could explain
to us how many people in practice she thinks will come and how
those figures have been calculated.
It is important that the Government have accepted that we need to
do more. We have a huge responsibility to work alongside other
European countries to provide sanctuary to those who are fleeing
war in Europe, but we must ensure that that actually happens in
practice and that bureaucratic hurdles, delays and obstacles do
not get in the way of people across the country showing their
support for those who have fled the appalling fighting in
Ukraine. We have all made pledges to stand by Ukraine, and we
must do that by providing sanctuary now.
First, it is important to recognise that the British Government
are the first Government to outline practical measures on how to
bring people to the United Kingdom—[Interruption.] It is actually
true, in terms of the specific schemes that we have outlined
today. [Interruption.] Either Labour Members are interested and
want to listen to how—[Interruption.] Perhaps they would rather
make cheap political points from the Opposition Benches, but this
is a moment when everyone should be coming together in our
national interest to provide help and support.
If I may, I shall respond to some of the points that the shadow
Home Secretary has made. She asked about stepchildren. This is a
Ukrainian family scheme, and I have already outlined some of the
categories of family members who will be eligible to come over to
the United Kingdom. The scheme will be free. She also mentioned
the lady who had paid fees. All fees for schemes will not be put
in place, and if a refund needs to be provided, it will be
provided.
While I have the floor, in might be worth my outlining some
practical measures for all colleagues while responding to the
right hon. Lady’s questions. Yesterday in the House I said that
MPs should not get themselves directly involved in caseworking.
As of tomorrow, the Home Office will be providing a team based in
Portcullis House, where MPs can directly refer cases—in addition
to the helpline—to ensure that applications are fulfilled. This
can involve any resident, particularly in Members’ own
constituencies, where they have Ukrainian nationals or British
nationals who are interested in sponsorship or bringing family
members over. Within hours we will be able to triage those cases
and bring them through our systems to help get people over.
The right hon. Lady made some wider points that I would like to
address, and they relate to numbers. We have a very generous
offer in terms of the numbers of people that we would like to
bring over. As I said earlier and now repeat to the House, we are
not setting caps or limits on these numbers. At this stage, we
should be very honest and level with everyone that we do not know
the number of people who will seek to come to the United Kingdom.
Frankly, we are basing this on our conversations with ambassadors
representing the region in London. I came to the House straight
from a meeting with the Ukrainian ambassador, who is very
grateful for the routes and the support we are providing, but the
Government do not know the numbers. The Polish, Hungarian and
Czech Governments are asking for assistance in country. They want
aid and resources right now, and they are saying that they do not
know how many people will want to come to the United Kingdom.
None the less, that should not deter us from the work we are
doing right now.
The other fact to note—the right hon. Lady mentioned this in her
remarks, too—is that we are being told clearly that people want
to stay in the region. It is a fact that what is happening in
Ukraine right now, with the amazing and heroic resistance being
shown, is that people are fighting for the freedom of their
country, and family members and loved ones want to stay in the
region.
The work of our Government is twofold, to provide humanitarian
assistance and support in the region—there is a big need for
humanitarian support and aid, and the Government are doing
that—while creating routes. My final response to the right hon.
Lady is about the sponsorship route, which will be led by the
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and
his Department. There will be further announcements on how it
will be stood up, because it is a national effort involving
charities, businesses and communities, particularly the diaspora
community, who are willing to make this scheme happen. It is
right that we work with partners.
Linked to that, the right hon. Lady asked about resettlement.
This is a phased approach. We are looking at every single avenue,
and our record in government shows that 97,000 British nationals
overseas and 18,000 people from Afghanistan have come over. We
have created resettlement pathways, so this Government have that
capability and we are absolutely ready to stand them up, but we
can do that by working with our partners in country and in the
region.
(North Thanet) (Con)
The women and children fleeing Ukraine are seeking refuge from a
war in a member state of the Council of Europe, of which we are
also a member, so we have a clear duty towards them. I am
listening to my right hon. Friend with great interest, and I will
study with care her proposals for a humanitarian sponsorship
pathway.
In east Kent we have a team of people who are ready, willing and
able to take cars and coaches to the Polish border to bring
people home to Britain. We have, as my right hon. Friend knows, a
processing centre at Manston barracks that is capable of dealing
with these people. Can we please do as we did in 1956 and 1968,
cut through the red tape and get these people home so that their
menfolk, who are fighting and dying on the streets of Kyiv, can
at least know that their women and children are safe?
My right hon. Friend summarises the situation very clearly and
correctly. That is exactly what we are doing, and creating
pathways and routes means working with countries in the region.
Dialogue with the Polish, Czech and Hungarian Governments is
happening right now. We are working with them, through the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the rapid
deployment teams that are and have been in country, on how we can
get people out of the region who want to come to the UK through
sponsorship or the other routes we have outlined. Those
mechanisms are in place.
It is important to recognise that this comes back to the
situation on the ground, not just in Ukraine but in the countries
that are receiving refugees right now. It is very difficult, as
they have capacity and constraint issues, too. The British
Government are working through the FCDO, the Ministry of Defence
and the Home Office. All our teams are surging capacity to assist
those Governments at this very difficult time.
(Cumbernauld, Kilsyth
and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)
To be fair, that is certainly better than what was said
yesterday. Yet again, at a time of humanitarian crisis, the Home
Office is having to be dragged towards a generous and
comprehensive response, instead of a shambolic and miserly mess.
For days, the Home Secretary has lagged behind the demands from
the public, from Parliament and even from within her own
party.
For Ukrainians who are already here, instead of a piecemeal visa
extension, can we have a comprehensive extension of all visas for
at least a year? The Home Secretary referred to switching to a
points-based system, but not everyone will qualify. What are they
supposed to do?
On Ukrainians who are seeking safety here, yesterday I raised the
case of my constituent who fled to Romania with his Ukrainian
family. His wife and child will be fine, but his 59-year-old
mother-in-law and his six-year-old niece were not helped by
yesterday’s announcement, and it is still not clear whether they
are helped by today’s announcement. Will they be helped? Theirs
is a very typical case that Members on both sides of the House
will have to deal with.
The simple and just response is to waive visa requirements for
Ukrainians and to offer comprehensive protection. That is the
only way to stop splitting up families, and the only way to help
Ukrainians, as a whole, avoid the red tape about which we have
already heard today. If our European allies can do it, so can
we.
The Home Secretary’s letter to MPs this morning said that those
who do not fit the family criteria can apply ordinarily under the
points-based immigration system. That is just about as helpful as
the infamous suggestion that they use the agricultural workers
scheme.
The humanitarian sponsorship pathway announced today could be a
welcome addition, but we need to see the details and we need to
be clear that this is not the Government palming off their
responsibilities to communities that will take a long time to
organise. The unexplained security concerns that the Home
Secretary mentioned cannot justify our taking a different
response from our neighbours. Indeed, we share an open land
border with Ireland, which has just made the very move that we
are suggesting. None of this adds up. Will the Department stop
this public relations exercise of picking numbers out of a hat to
justify its miserly response? Whether it is 100,000 or 200,000,
these are complete and utter works of fiction designed to get the
Home Office out of a hole.
Finally, the Home Secretary mentioned her awful anti-refugee
Bill. How can she justify legislation that would criminalise
Ukrainians who arrive here seeking asylum outside the scheme she
announced today?
I have to say that I find the hon. Gentleman’s comments quite
offensive. They are insulting in every single way.
[Interruption.] For the first time, the SNP should stop playing
politics. At every single stage, and on immigration issues in
particular, I recognise and appreciate that we have a
fundamentally different point of view.
(Na h-Eileanan an
Iar) (SNP)
Get on with your job.
Mr Speaker
Order. Mr MacNeil, I expect better. You have been
chirping—[Interruption.] Let me finish. I do not want you
chirping all the way through. I want to make sure that you get a
question, and your question will be important. Do not waste that
opportunity.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. You effectively asked the hon. Member for
Na h-Eileanan an Iar () to be quiet. He
contacted me with a case at the weekend—I think it was on
Sunday—and he had a response within minutes. That response came
from me, as I picked up the case personally, so I do not need to
be told to get on with my job, thank you very much.
The SNP, rather than making these really quite offensive
points—
(Edinburgh South West)
(SNP)
They’re not offensive; they’re reasonable.
They are offensive and not reasonable. I am very sorry that the
SNP does not want to listen to a word I have to say, but there
has to be recognition that we have been working across Government
for weeks with countries in the region and with the Ukrainian
Government to provide the schemes and assistance for which they
have asked. This is not a case of just saying there is carte
blanche to do x, y and z. We are developing the schemes in
conjunction with them.
We have known about the crisis on the ground for a considerable
period of time, and we have also known about the need for surge
capacity in the region. That work has been taking place. As I
have already said, helping people should be our priority, not
speaking about systems and processes. We are circumventing that
to make sure we have the facilities in place to triage cases for
those who want to come here, while also providing support to
those who want to stay in the region.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker
I want to get everyone in, so let us help each other because this
is a very important statement. Please hold your fire until it is
your question, and then make sure that you put the question. Let
us work to help each other.
(Haltemprice and Howden)
(Con)
I welcome the Home Secretary’s response to the calls for
generosity from many of us, which is what I expected. This is a
much more generous system, but, quite properly, she has taken
time to make it work practically. However, I want to raise a
practical issue. As she said, the numbers are not clear. Some
have forecast a total of 4 million will come out of Ukraine, and
it may be 5 million or 6 million, so our share of that burden
would probably be about half a million people. A significant
number of them—perhaps a majority—will be women and children, not
whole-family units, so the burdens on housing, education and
social support will be bigger than anything we have seen before.
Has she had discussions yet, or will she have discussions, with
our European colleagues to ensure that that burden is shared
across the whole continent? That is the only way in which we can
look after these people properly.
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am frequently in
touch with Commissioner Johansson on these issues. I appreciate
that everyone said yesterday that the EU has moved quickly, but
actually it has made an announcement and it is still discussing
how, in practical terms, it can establish temporary protection
measures and activate its schemes. We must all step up. In fact,
colleagues in the Department are already speaking to the devolved
Administrations with informal talks having happened in recent
weeks. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
will play a pivotal role.
(Kingston upon Hull North)
(Lab)
I thank the Home Secretary for making this statement after the
confusion following yesterday’s attempt to inform the House of
her plans. I want to ask about the humanitarian sponsorship
pathway, which I think she said was to be led by the Secretary of
State for Levelling Up. What role will the Home Office play in
that? What resources will it be putting into the pathway? When
does she expect that the first Ukrainians will arrive under the
pathway? I know she said that she cannot estimate numbers, but
what is her best guess of how many will be eligible under the
scheme?
I will be very frank: we do not know at this stage. The Secretary
of State for Levelling Up will make statements and share with the
House in due course details of the community scheme specifically.
That is under development, so I cannot tell the right hon. Lady
the potential numbers that will come through the route.
In terms of the Home Office role, this is a whole-of-Government
effort. We will continue to support people in coming over, giving
them the status that they need and securing their paperwork as
well as all the essential pieces in which we always play a role,
but this is an effort in joining up across Government. To be
candid, we are learning lessons off the back of previous schemes
including the Syrian resettlement scheme and the Afghanistan
scheme, where there is still so much work to do. That goes to the
point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice and
Howden (Mr Davis) about accommodation and infrastructure in our
own country. We must be honest about how we can support the
people we do bring over.
Dame (South Northamptonshire)
(Con)
I heartily congratulate my right hon. Friend on a compassionate
and balanced response, reflecting the warm welcome that we want
to give families reuniting and respecting that so many families
will want to be supported in the region so that they can go back
to Ukraine as soon as possible. I was informed that a hotel in my
constituency is being prepared for Ukrainians coming to the
United Kingdom. I am delighted about that, and I know that many
constituents will want to support them. Will my right hon. Friend
therefore update the House on what our communities can do to
support those who will, I hope, be arriving soon?
My right hon. Friend is right. I spoke to the Ukrainian
ambassador prior to coming to the House, and we see on our
screens how difficult things are in Ukraine and in the region.
The best thing that the British people can do is give a warm
welcome to people from Ukraine who are coming here. As colleagues
have referenced, it will inevitably be women and children because
of the Ukrainian Government’s conscription policy with men
staying behind and fighting. There will be a lot to do—we will
want to get children into schools and ensure that they can
continue their education. I reflect from my conversations with
Governments in the region, my Ukrainian counterpart and the
ambassador that these people want to be able to go back to
rebuild their country, so the human capital point will be so
important. We cannot underestimate the impact that skills,
education and the ability to feel safe and secure will have on
people, and that is where we can really make a difference.
(Leeds Central) (Lab)
There are two mothers and three children who have now reached
Poland, having fled the violence in Ukraine. One mother and her
child—they are my constituents—have pre-settled status and
British citizenship respectively, so they can return. Her sister,
along with her two children—they are all Ukrainian nationals—fled
with them and are refugees with nowhere to go, but they have a
family in Leeds who will give them shelter. Under the policy that
the Home Secretary has announced, can that mother and those two
children come to the UK?
The answer is yes. Would the right hon. Gentleman like to send me
the details?
indicated assent.
Thank you.
(Ashford) (Con)
In a letter that I and more than 40 colleagues from the one
nation caucus wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday, we asked for
a flexible and pragmatic approach to the problem, because this is
not just another migration crisis but a crisis of war. In that
context, I very much welcome the humanitarian sponsorship pathway
that the Home Secretary announced. I appreciate that it is in the
early stages, but can she give any more details about the
responsibilities that the sponsors, whether individual or
corporate, will incur? What will they have to do to be sponsors?
If the Government get that right, the pathway will tap into an
enormous well spring of generosity in the British public, which
is exactly what is needed in this terrible crisis.
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I pay tribute to him
and thank him for his work and support in the area. He will
understand the remit well from his previous roles in Government.
I am afraid that I cannot share those details on sponsorship—I do
not have them because of the cross-Government nature of the work.
However, he made an important point about the generosity of the
British people. We should be mindful of how we have been
overwhelmed with so many offers of support from businesses, the
community and the diaspora community. In my experience of setting
up the British national overseas scheme for people fleeing Hong
Kong, the community came together well, and we are taking some of
the key component learnings from that to apply to this
scheme.
(Rhondda) (Lab)
I think we need to stand united—end of. The Government have said,
quite rightly, that they want to sanction Duma members and
members of the Russian Federation Council, but they have not been
able to do so yet. Alisher Usmanov has already been sanctioned by
the EU although not yet by the UK, but I suspect that he will be
on a UK list pretty soon, and Everton should certainly be cutting
ties with him. I think Roman Abramovich is terrified of being
sanctioned, which is why he is going to sell his home tomorrow,
and another flat as well. My anxiety is that we are taking too
long about these things, and I have a suggestion that might help.
I fear that the Government are frightened of lawyers’ letters
from all these oligarchs’ friends. One way to circumvent that is
if Ministers read into the record, in a proceeding in Parliament,
all the sanction criteria, because then they would be
protected.
The hon. Member makes a valid point, as ever—I worked with him on
such issues in the past on the Foreign Affairs Committee. It is
taking time. As he and hon. Members will be aware, there are lots
of legal reasons for that. I do not want to cut across the work
that the FCDO is doing on that right now. A lot of detailed work
is taking place on sanctions, and much of it is coming to the
House pretty soon.
Sir (South Swindon) (Con)
I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. Conservative
Members are particularly pleased with her announcement about the
humanitarian sponsorship pathway. I have listened carefully to
her assurances that she will work closely with colleagues at the
Department for Levelling Up to ensure that the scheme avoids the
pitfalls of the past, which is important, bearing in mind the
rapidity of what is happening. Half a million people have been
displaced from Ukraine in a week, and the numbers will rise into
the millions. It is therefore vital that she and my Government
step up to the plate, as Governments have done in the past, and
show that this country is capable of not just action against
aggressors but the compassion that has made it a great place to
live.
I thank my right hon. and learned Friend—he is a great friend on
this and many other issues. Sadly, in the current age we have
seen too many crises and too many people displaced around the
world, and as ever, every scenario and circumstance needs a
unique and bespoke response, and that is what we are doing. The
BNO and the Afghanistan responses were very different, and this
is a fitting response that—I wish to emphasise this to all
colleagues—has been developed with our partners in the region and
with the Government of Ukraine.
May I associate myself with the measured and well made comments
from my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and
Kirkintilloch East ()? He is one of the most
well respected, well informed and reasonable Members of the
House, and all he was trying to say was that systems and process
are essential to getting this right. In that spirit, may I ask
the Home Secretary about a constituent’s parents? They have been
granted visas to travel to the United Kingdom but their documents
were at the visa application centre in Kyiv, which is obviously
now closed. Over the weekend they fled the fighting in Donbas.
They are making their way overland to a third country—I do not
want to say exactly where for reasons of their safety—and they
are hoping to fly to the United Kingdom. What steps is the Home
Secretary taking with Border Force officials to ensure that visa
holders, such as my constituent’s parents, who arrive in the UK
without the correct physical documentation—that is through no
fault of their own, because that physical documentation existed
but they could not get to it—receive a warm welcome and are given
the access to this country to which they are entitled?
There are a number of measures, and it is not just about Border
Force—this is a conversation I had with the Ukrainian ambassador
today—because of people without documents that can be verified,
and all sorts of issues. We are trying to use both systems, out
of country but in country as well. We have an operation in Lviv,
in particular, trying to verify the data of those who are trying
to leave, and match it against our systems. Quite a lot of work
is taking place on this, but the hon. and learned Lady should
provide me with details of the case she mentioned, and we will
absolutely take it on board and pick it up.
(New Forest East) (Con)
These welcome efforts will put huge extra strain on the Home
Secretary’s Department. May I urge her to bear in mind the
situation of those other refugees who fled from Afghanistan to
Pakistan, and who have been granted entry visas to this country
but are stuck there because they entered Pakistan undocumented in
an emergency? The Pakistani authorities could well grab them and
send them back to a terrible fate in Kabul. Will she reach out to
the Ministry of Defence to set in place safe extraction measures
for those people who we have agreed can come here, but who cannot
show themselves in Pakistan because our so-called ally is too
close to the Taliban?
I thank my right hon. Friend for that important point. The
Afghanistan resettlement and the plight of Afghan refugees
absolutely has not ended. As Members of the House will know, we
welcomed more than 20,000 Afghan refugees, and the Minister for
Afghan Resettlement, who is sitting on the Bench beside me now,
is in constant contact with the MOD, and particularly with our
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office partners in
Pakistan. There absolutely are challenges, and we cannot just
move from one international crisis to another. We must continue
to work on this issue, and that is a whole-Government effort. We
are using the FCDO and the MOD to deal specifically with those
cases.
(Eltham) (Lab)
My constituent’s mother went to the visa centre in Kyiv on 16
February 2021 to deliver her biometric fingerprints. She received
confirmation that her application had been received eight days
later. The family had not heard anything by August, so they
contacted the Home Office. The reply they received stated that it
was currently receiving a high volume of applications as a result
of the significant increase in uptake, and that customers may
experience a longer wait than usual for its decision. If there
was an increase in demand as far back as August, what was done to
address that? How many such cases are there? What will be done
with the information in the visa centre in Kyiv, and what will be
done to assist my constituent’s mother?
I cannot answer on the specifics of that case, but if the hon.
Gentleman emails the details to me this afternoon I will pick
that up. As I have outlined, across our centres we are united in
our databases and the information that we have. I will pick up
that case this afternoon and look at it further.
(Stone) (Con)
May I strongly commend my right hon. Friend for her tremendous
work in this field? She has enormous problems to deal with, and I
am sure the House will be united in supporting her, the Prime
Minister and the Government in this national emergency. Will she
do everything possible to ensure that the Nationality and Borders
Bill—currently in the House of Lords—which she has indicated
needs to be amended, will be enacted as soon as possible? Will
she urge the House of Lords to take the measures necessary to get
that legislation on to the statute book as soon as possible?
I thank my hon. Friend for his comments and for his absolute
support on this, and he is absolutely right. Operationalising
legislation is not straightforward but we are already working on
plans to do that. That is why there is a big effort to ask our
colleagues in the Lords to send the legislation back here so that
we can get it done.
(Twickenham) (LD)
Over the weekend the Prime Minister evoked the parable of the
good Samaritan when he visited a Ukrainian church in London. In
that parable, the good Samaritan is generous and compassionate
when he stops to help a complete stranger. He does not stop to
check their family connections, whether a suitable sponsorship
scheme has been set up, or their papers. Although today’s
statement is a welcome step forward, will the Home Secretary go
still further and establish urgently a scheme that is open to all
those fleeing war and persecution right now at the hands of
Putin’s forces?
This statement is specifically about Ukraine, and the measures I
have announced today will build on the wider work that is taking
place in Government. We are operationalising the schemes, and
there will be further announcements about the wider work, the
sponsorship scheme, and things of that nature that will be
brought forward. All our work on humanitarian aid relief,
resettlement and support of refugees is based on our work
directly with the Ukrainian Government and countries in the
region.
(Forest of Dean) (Con)
I warmly welcome the changes that the Home Secretary has set out,
and I say gently to SNP Members that it is important to keep
biometric checks in place. I still remember what happened in
Salisbury. The Putin regime will not hesitate to send agents here
to kill British citizens, and it is the Home Secretary’s job to
ensure we keep people safe. I commend the work that our
intelligence agencies have done to give us advance notice of what
was going to happen. I urge the Home Secretary to continue
looking at that intelligence, so that we keep our offer flexible
and commensurate with the threat faced by our Ukrainian brothers
and sisters.
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I thank him for his
comments and understanding on this. Our intelligence and security
agencies have been there right from the outset. That is not just
recent information, but information that has been in place for
many months, dating back to early last year. Security checks are
significant, and such issues are debated often in this House,
including with regard to the evacuation from Kabul last year. We
know what Putin’s regime is capable of, and not just in Ukraine
but on the streets of the United Kingdom. Our country has
suffered at the hands of Putin and his regime, and we must do
everything we possibly can to protect our country and its
citizens.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
I note the very strong emphasis on community sponsorship in the
Home Secretary’s statement. I am a supporter of community
sponsorship, which provides a fantastic welcome for refugees who
come through that route, but it requires a huge amount of work by
community groups, and many hurdles to be jumped over at the Home
Office. Can the Home Secretary confirm that she really thinks
that it is an appropriate and fit-for-purpose route for the scale
and immediacy of the challenge that we face? Would it not be
better for the Home Office to be doing that work, to allow
communities simply to do the job of very quickly welcoming people
who arrive here and who can already be supported in situ?
I come back to my earlier remarks about working with the diaspora
community. This is something that has been asked for
specifically, working with the ambassador as well. This will not
be Home Office led. The Home Office has a role to play, but this
is a whole-of-Government effort, which is why the Department for
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will lead on the community
engagement piece, and work with communities on this.
Linked with community sponsorship, we still have to work through
the elements of infrastructure, housing, education and the key
access to public services. It is a whole-of-Government effort,
not just with the Home Office, but there will be further
announcements on this to come.
(Epsom and Ewell) (Con)
I commend my right hon. Friend on what I think is the right
approach. I listened with surprise to the Opposition saying that
there should be no process. It does not help the refugees
themselves if we have a completely chaotic situation.
Can my right hon. Friend tell the House what work she is doing
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees? The
number of people coming out of Ukraine means that this will have
to be a global response, not simply a European one.
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Again, having a united
response on this is really important; I do not just mean in this
House but internationally. That is why I am not underplaying the
emphasis on working with our partners and friends in the region,
the Ukrainian Government and UN agencies.
My right hon. Friend the Member for North Thanet ( ) spoke about transport and
things of that nature. We will have to work with our partners—the
UNHCR, and other UN aid agencies, third parties and countries—in
terms of how to bring people to the UK, and potentially to create
humanitarian corridors to still try to help people to get out of
Ukraine. There is a lot of work taking place, not just in the UK
with the British Government but working with partners and
agencies. We cannot under-emphasise that work at the time of this
crisis, or the number of people who are on the move right
now.
(Exeter) (Lab)
What a lot of people do not understand, including me, Secretary
of State, is why it is not possible to keep the security checks
while matching the EU’s generous three-year visa-free entry
offer.
I have made my point on security checks. We have been the target,
basically, of Putin’s Russia. On the EU’s approach, the EU is
still discussing how it intends to operationalise its mechanism.
I am in touch with the commissioner. As soon as I know more from
the commissioner, obviously we will work with them. We are not
working in isolation: I want to make that quite clear to all
colleagues. We are working with everyone. Of course, that also
means sharing information and helping each other out. As I have
said, this is an evolving situation.
(Newbury) (Con)
I welcome the offer that the Home Secretary has announced to the
Ukrainian people at this moment of desperate need, and her
reassurance that there will be no limit on the numbers of
Ukrainian people who can enter the United Kingdom under one of
the qualifying schemes.
A constituent of mine emailed me today about his mother and
father-in-law—Ukrainian nationals who have escaped the country
and are now in a European country. They have applied for a
visitor visa and have been told that they face a 15-day delay.
Could I meet the Home Secretary, or one of her officials, to see
what we can do to accelerate their safe passage to the United
Kingdom?
Of course. I say to all Members of the House who have cases
coming to them that, as I have said, we will have staff in
Portcullis House from tomorrow. We will write to all Members this
afternoon with basic information about where to go with their
cases. Of course, I am more than happy to pick up cases directly
from colleagues, as I have been doing.
(Sheffield South East)
(Lab)
Receiving refugees here is the first step; how we treat them once
they get here is just as important. I appreciate that the Home
Secretary has said that that becomes a responsibility for the
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Will she ensure that in that role he is now having urgent
discussions with local authorities, which will be key to
providing accommodation, education for children, social services
support and mental health support? It is crucial that local
authorities get the resources to do that. Indeed, it might be
good if the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities could come to the House and make a statement on those
matters.
I absolutely understand and hear the points that the hon.
Gentleman is making, with his experience across the board in
local government. It is important to say that this is a
whole-of-Government effort. We are one Government, and we are
taking an integrated approach. He is right that we have to
provide the services and infrastructure. Not all of that can
materialise overnight.
We are absolutely working with local councils. Talks have been
taking place informally with the devolved Administrations. This
is absolutely ongoing, but as I have said, getting started is
sometimes the hardest thing. It may be imperfect at the outset,
but we know what kind of support we need to provide. It is the
Government’s objective and priority to ensure that we do the best
that we can, working across the country with local authorities
and across the whole of Government.
(The Cotswolds)
(Con)
Following on from the question of the hon. Member for Sheffield
South East (Mr Betts), can my right hon. Friend say a little
more? I accept that it is not her direct responsibility, but he
asked about the cross-Government effort to ensure that refugees
coming into this country are given a proper welcome. They may
well be traumatised and have lost their principal family member.
They may never see them again. They may require medical
attention. They may be old. They may be young. Can we have a
cross-Government effort to ensure that they are properly welcomed
to this country?
I give my hon. Friend that reassurance. This is a
whole-of-Government effort. As I think I mentioned, we learn from
previous efforts. Syria and Afghanistan were harrowing conflicts.
People arrived in our country. I still speak to those who were
involved in developing the Syrian scheme, the sponsorship scheme
and the resettlement scheme. People came over who were
traumatised and really sick. It was the same for Afghanistan,
last year alone; I met many of those individuals and families as
well. The situations are highly traumatic and deeply distressing.
We are well aware of what needs to be provided, but it will be a
national effort across all aspects of society.
Mr (East Londonderry)
(DUP)
The Secretary of State alluded to the sponsorship pathway. Will
she have discussions with the devolved institutions, so that
there is a seamless approach in all parts of the United Kingdom?
I assume that that would ensure that she would have discussions
with at least one Sinn Féin Minister. Given that party’s
influence in terms of the Russian sphere of influence in the
past, hopefully she will use her best endeavours to ensure that
no political attitudes get in the way of a humanitarian approach
across the UK.
The hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point. At a time such as
this, there should be no room for political issues or political
points. That is really quite important. The world is in crisis.
Look at how the west has been threatened. Look at what is going
on in Ukraine in terms of freedom and democracy being completely
undermined. We have to stand united and together. Only by working
together across the devolved Administrations, across the entire
United Kingdom and, as I have emphasised, with our friends and
partners in the region do we stand up to a tyrant such as Putin,
and stand with the people of Ukraine.
(Gainsborough) (Con)
Everybody wants to be humanitarian, and the Home Secretary is
under pressure to have a visa-free scheme like the rest of
Europe, but may I congratulate her on her proportionate response?
We have to remember that, unlike the rest of Europe, we have
uniquely liberal labour laws and we speak English, so we are the
country of choice for mass immigration. I therefore urge her to
listen to not only all the humanitarian voices but the voices of
people in, for instance, Lincolnshire, where we feel we have
really done our bit in terms of migration from eastern Europe. We
are under extreme pressure in terms of housing and jobs.
[Interruption.] I know that this is difficult to say, but we have
to be honest about it. May I therefore be a correcting voice, and
congratulate her on her humanitarian but proportionate response,
and on not throwing away the immigration rulebook?
My right hon. Friend makes some important points about the
balanced and pragmatic approach that we are taking. First and
foremost, as I have said to the House throughout this session, we
have worked directly with our partners in the region and the
Ukrainian Government. We have to understand their needs as well.
We want to do the right thing by the people of Ukraine; there is
no question about that.
I spoke about the significance of security checks and the fact
that we are giving people who want to come to the United Kingdom
the chance to live their lives freely, with access to public
funds and work. Of course, people will need documentation and we
have a system in place for that. We feel we are taking the right
approach, working with our partners. As ever, though, we are in
challenging and difficult times, and things could evolve. I have
already pointed to the sponsorship group under development. It is
right that we secure our frameworks for how we bring people
over.
(Worsley and Eccles South)
(Lab)
I have a constituent living here with his Ukrainian spouse of 22
years who wants to offer his home as a sanctuary to three family
members fleeing the war in Ukraine and now heading to a third
country. They are a niece and her young daughter, and a cousin’s
young daughter. However, the Government’s Ukrainian family scheme
does not include nieces and cousins. Most of us, I think, would
say that our families include our nieces and our cousins. What
can I tell my constituent about offering sanctuary and his home
to his family members? Will the Secretary of State reconsider
including other family members in the family scheme and the time
limit of 12 months when other countries have allowed up to three
years?
As I said, if the hon. Lady wants to send me the details we will
look into that.
(Dudley South) (Con)
I think most of my constituents would like us to be generous with
the sanctuary that we offer to those fleeing besieged homes. The
measures my right hon. Friend announced will allow people to turn
their generosity into practical and direct action. Will she
continue to work with organisations, such as the United Nations
and the Red Cross, to look at how else we can best support those
in need?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I want to come back to a
point I made earlier on. The situation is very difficult
in-region and in Ukraine. Inevitably, UN agencies will be asked
to do more and there will be more convening. It will not just be
about money, but practical aid and support. We will continue to
work with agency partners in the United Kingdom, because we have
to integrate and join up how we help the people of Ukraine.
As the Home Secretary knows, and I am glad she has already
mentioned it, I have a constituent, Derek MacLeod, a businessman
on the Isle of Lewis, who has 20 family members and
in-laws—normal people who are now refugees—on the Poland-Ukraine
border. The accommodation is there and we want them in the
Hebrides, but so far red tape in London is stopping them from
coming to Scotland. There is a simple question from Mr MacLeod:
can the 20 come to the Isle of Lewis? As Mr MacLeod says, time is
lives, and he and his wife are very concerned.
That is a case that the hon. Gentleman has already been in touch
with me about. We are looking into it.
(Wellingborough) (Con)
I am very grateful to the Home Secretary for coming to the House
at the earliest opportunity to update us. As we know, women and
children are fleeing through west Ukraine to get to safe
countries, but they are obviously vulnerable to air attack by
Russian aircraft. Has there been any discussion on creating a
no-fly safe zone in western Ukraine for refugees? Did the Home
Secretary discuss that when she spoke to the Ukrainian
ambassador?
We discuss all issues, some of which I cannot share on the Floor
of the House because they are very sensitive in light of the
attacks. I know my hon. Friend will respect that. Discussions are
taking place constantly, but he is right to highlight just how
dangerous, volatile and precarious the situation is. All of us
are mindful of that as we work with our counterparts and our
colleagues. I am speaking to many of my counterparts nearly every
other day, plus ambassadors every single day. The situation is
changing and we are hearing different reports. We are working in
real time—real time—to provide all the support in the region and
in-country in specific ways that can make a difference to
people.
(Nottingham East) (Lab)
Someone very dear to me who helped to raise me and who came to
this country from Ukraine after the second world war would not
have been eligible under any of the Home Secretary’s schemes.
Today’s announcement, while welcome, is heavily caveated and
still falls far short of what is needed. I want the Prime
Minister to honour the words he spoke to me last week in this
Chamber and put in place meaningful support for all those fleeing
Ukraine. When will the Home Office start waiving visas and not
just waving flags?
I refer the hon. Lady to what I have said already in the House
about the practical routes we are putting in place.
[Interruption.] She can shake her head. I am sorry that she wants
to be political, but we are putting in some very powerful routes
that we will support. We do not know how many people will come
over, but those routes have been developed in conjunction not
just with our colleagues in the Ukrainian Government and other
counterparts, but from the actual needs of people from what we
are hearing in the region. She has heard me say very clearly that
there are no caps on numbers.
We are creating schemes for people to come over, but that takes
time. Not only that, but it also takes time to work with our
colleagues in the region and work to meet their specific needs. I
would like to think that the hon. Lady would respect that. It is
not about the British Government just saying that we are starting
up the scheme without actually working with people in-country or
in the region on how it can be operationalised and how to ensure
that it meets the needs of the people of Ukraine.
(North Devon) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement and for
highlighting the vital work being done behind the scenes to
ensure that the scheme meets the needs of those fleeing the
atrocities in Ukraine, and that it works with its neighbouring
countries as well as recognises our own security needs. We would
all like to do more to help the displaced people of Ukraine. Will
she detail what practical things my constituents can do to
help?
My hon. Friend highlights brilliantly the generosity of the
British people in her own constituency. We are all grateful for
that. It is important, as I have said a few times now in the
discussions we have had in the House thus far, that we provide
people with a warm welcome, and also work with local authorities,
local councils, NHS trusts, schools, education and county
councils. I think she met me recently to discuss issues relating
to local government, policing and crime. It is about getting
local organisations to come together and integrate the welcome
that can be given and the services that can be provided.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
Millions of people across the country are desperate to help
Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s monstrous and indiscriminate invasion
by donating money and items desperately needed by Ukrainian
refugees at thousands of sites across the country, including my
constituency office. However, many of them are asking why Ireland
and the EU can welcome all Ukrainians, yet their own Government
refuse to do likewise. Ukrainian men, women and children are
dying defending democracy and freedom, and they are dying for our
freedom just as much as Ukraine’s. What does the Home Secretary
say to those Ukrainians she has deemed not worthy of refuge in
this country?
I am not even going to address the points the hon. Gentleman has
made. I have spoken very clearly about the schemes. We are very
clear. It is not just about our generosity. There are no limits.
We are welcoming Ukrainian people to our country. The other point
to make is that many Ukrainians want to stay in-region and we
have to take a balanced approach. The Government are working in
conjunction with the Ukrainian Government and the Ukrainian
ambassador in London. We are understanding the specific
needs—[Interruption.] He clearly does not want to listen to my
comments, because he is just talking over me. I am addressing his
points. I am afraid it is obvious that the SNP has its own
particular view and stance, which they are welcome to, but we are
a Government working with our partners in-region and aid agencies
to understand the situation on the ground and in the region.
(Devizes) (Con)
I very much welcome the announcement today. Community sponsorship
is absolutely the right approach to support refugees coming into
this country. Of course, it does not come for free and
volunteering is not free. I hope there might be some public funds
available to support community groups, but perhaps even more
helpfully, might my right hon. Friend work with the Charity
Commission and charitable foundations to establish a
philanthropic fund, so that people can make direct contributions
themselves to support their neighbours who are supporting
refugees?
That is an excellent suggestion, and I will take it back to
colleagues in Government to look at how we can develop it.
(Glasgow North) (SNP)
The Scottish National party’s position is that the refugees are
welcome and that we should do everything in our power to offer
sanctuary to people who need it. On that basis, and further to
the question from the hon. Member for Twickenham (), I note that the conflict
has regional implications and that some of us are already
starting to hear from constituents and business owners who have
contracts in Belarus and elsewhere who want to flee Putin’s
aggression. What routes are already open to them and will the
kind of announcement that the Home Secretary has made today be
extended to other countries in the region?
The routes are published on gov.uk, so the hon. Gentleman can see
them, and I have outlined them this afternoon. In its response,
the whole United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with the
people of Ukraine. As I have said several times in the House,
that means an effort across the whole country to provide support
and accommodation, and discussions are under way with the
devolved Administrations.
(East Surrey) (Con)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on her work today to create
new routes of entry for Ukrainians in the most invidious of
positions and on her prior work for the BNO—British national
overseas—citizens from Hong Kong and for Afghan nationals. It is
a brilliant reflection of the British people’s compassion. I have
a constituent whose mother in Kyiv is elderly and infirm. The
application centre in Lviv is critical and a lifeline to her to
be able to come here. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that that
application centre will remain open and that it will be as
accessible as possible for those with disabilities?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. To give some context on Lviv,
the take-up in recent weeks has been very low, but with that
said, we are doing everything we can. I would like to pay tribute
to our ambassador, Melinda Simmons, and the team in Lviv, who are
doing outstanding work. It is because of her and her team that we
are able to keep these operations up and running—I want to put
all this into that particular context. We are relying on very
brave people from our home team in-country to help Ukrainian
people, and I come back to my point about cases: please send us
details and we will work with them to ensure that we can provide
the support that is necessary.
(Sheffield Central)
(Lab)
The Home Secretary is right to talk about the unity that we have
seen in response to the appalling events in Ukraine. We need that
unity in our response to the refugee crisis, and we need our
response to reflect the mood of the public, who have seen the
deeply moving images of women and children fleeing their country.
Last night at a rally in Sheffield, one Ukrainian who is here on
a temporary work visa pleaded for the right to bring his sister
to the country. Will the Home Secretary confirm that the family
reunion scheme that she has announced today will extend to him
and others on temporary visas? In relation to others, will she
seriously consider the resettlement scheme that has been proposed
by the Refugee Council?
We do not rule anything out. I restate to the House that we have
been developing this response in conjunction with partners, and
the situation is evolving. Again, the hon. Member has a specific
case: I ask him please to send it to me and we absolutely will
take a look at it.
(Henley) (Con)
After successfully getting Russia suspended from the Council of
Europe, I wish my right hon. Friend the best of luck with
Interpol. Given the uncertainty over the future direction of this
crisis, talking with the Ukrainian authorities and those of the
neighbouring countries will be absolutely essential. If she needs
any help in doing that, I am very willing to participate and to
help her out.
I thank my hon. Friend for his practical support. I would like to
take him up on that offer, particularly regarding his work on the
Council of Europe, which I congratulate him on as well. He speaks
about the power of being united by showing what can be achieved
collectively. That applies to trying to suspend Russia from
Interpol systems for very good reasons. We know extensively of
Russia’s history of abusing red notices. We absolutely support
Ukraine in that effort—it is so important to say that. I have
spoken to my counterpart in the UAE, because it has a key figure
in Interpol. We are working with other key nations as well. I
absolutely would like to take my hon. Friend up on his offer,
because we have to keep the dialogue going in-region, so that we
know about the support that is needed, hear about the situation
on the ground and can act in real time.
(Ceredigion) (PC)
I hope that today’s statement will offer much needed certainty to
constituents of mine who are desperately worried about the safety
of their family members, but I would be grateful if the Home
Secretary could clarify two particular examples that have been
shared with my office. First, will adult siblings and their
dependent children be able to join their UK family under the
Ukrainian family scheme? Secondly, will unaccompanied
grandchildren be able to do the same?
The answer is yes, and I highlighted in my statement the family
route and the family scheme. If the hon. Gentleman has any
particular cases that he would like to share, I would be more
than happy to take them up.
(Kenilworth and Southam)
(Con)
As my right hon. Friend said, the Government are operating on the
assumption that the vast bulk of Ukrainians who come to the UK
will want to go home as swiftly as they can. Given that
assumption, which seems entirely right to me, does that not mean
that the Government can be more generous in their immigration
approach than they would otherwise be, both in terms of immediate
family members—I very much welcome her redefinition of that—and
in the simplicity and flexibility of the humanitarian sponsorship
pathway? May I also ask her about the not wholly improbably
scenario that men who have fought in the Ukrainian conflict as
part of the Ukrainian forces will wish to come back to the UK to
be reunited with their families here? I would be grateful if she
could confirm that her Department is prepared for that
eventuality.
My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. We do not
know what tomorrow will bring and we have to be clear about
that—we really do not know. We have seen the day-to-day changes
and everything else that has taken place in Ukraine and it is
going to be harrowing for us all to see it every day, and even
harder for the families, mothers, wives and sisters who have left
their loved ones behind. I want to be very clear that we are not
ruling anything out in terms of not just flexibility, but the
approach that we need to take. We just do not know what the
outcomes will or could be. That is why we are having daily
discussions with representatives in the region and with the
Ukrainian Government.
(Livingston) (SNP)
My constituent’s sister and children have fled Ukraine to Poland,
where they have been welcomed on a 14-day green card. When she
called the number provided by the Home Secretary, she was
directed to the citizens advice bureau. Why is the Home Secretary
continuing the piecemeal approach of picking up casework from the
Floor of the House instead of having a comprehensive,
compassionate approach, like other EU nations that are much
flexible? And why is she directing my constituent to the citizens
advice bureau?
I was not aware of that, and I recognise the tone of the hon.
Lady’s comment. I will pick that up, absolutely—[Interruption.]
Yes, I need to find out what has happened. Had she notified me of
this before, I could have looked into it. However, she is raising
it now and I will look into it. As for the point on Europe, I
have commented that it is still working through what it is going
to do.
(Winchester) (Con)
My constituent writes in the past few hours:
“My only brother with his two small children and wife are hiding
in the shelter under their home not knowing what the next hour
will bring, gradually running out of food and basic
supplies”.
For those of us with small children, that is unimaginable. The
Ukrainian family scheme is really good news for that family, and
I thank the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister for listening
to their Back Benchers on that. The UK is big-hearted and
generous, as always. Will the Home Secretary say a bit more about
the humanitarian sponsorship pathway? A church in the Chandler’s
Ford bit of my constituency has been in touch during her
statement to say that it wants to help. How can it even express
an interest at this stage to get the ball rolling?
First, if my hon. Friend sends me the details of the church, the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will pick
that up through the sponsorship group. We are working in fast
time on all this and things are moving very quickly. As he said,
he has been contacted during this statement. We want to take up
every single sort of offer and a lot of co-ordination is taking
place in Government.
(North Down) (Alliance)
Today, we are rightly focusing on the terrible situation in
Ukraine, but I stress the importance of not forgetting the
Afghans who are still trying to flee Afghanistan and those who
are caught in the asylum system in the UK. On Ukraine, I am aware
of Afghan refugees who have already fled one war who currently
have asylum in Ukraine, and there are other non-Ukrainian
nationals who need to flee Ukraine. Will the Home Secretary
clarify whether the various routes that she has outlined are open
to people who want to flee Ukraine but who are not Ukrainian?
Obviously, the situation is developing, but I have outlined
specific family and sponsorship routes, and also the community
sponsorship route, and there will be information coming on that.
I cannot today talk about other categories of people who are not
Ukrainian coming to the UK. Clearly, a lot of work is under way
right now. As I have said, we have to look at everything, and we
are currently doing so.
(Calder Valley) (Con)
Quality of life for asylum seekers when they arrive here in the
UK has to be paramount. Our broken asylum system sees tens of
thousands of asylum seekers bogged down in the system, with
families stuck in hotel rooms for over 18 months. In the light of
this, does my right hon. Friend agree with me that we need to fix
this system quickly to ensure that all asylum seekers, whether
from the Ukraine or others, have the quality of life they deserve
as they are being processed here in the UK?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. May I take the opportunity to
thank him for all his work, because he was a great support to me
while he was the Home Office Whip, and he fully understands the
work the Government have been doing. There is a very important
point here, which I have touched on already: we need the capacity
in the infrastructure. We are a big-hearted nation, and with that
we of course need the provision and the accommodation. This is
where it is in effect a nationwide effort, with local authorities
across the country, the NHS and education coming together to
provide the services that people need.
(Glasgow South West)
(SNP)
I am assuming from the Secretary of State’s statement that a
constituent’s elderly mother, who previously visited on a tourist
visa, now expired, would be considered for the Ukrainian family
scheme. Could the Secretary of State also clarify whether
individuals who have in the past had a successful visa
application and are well known to the Home Office will have their
applications fast-tracked as a result of applying for the Ukraine
family scheme?
We will have to look at the individuals coming forward, because
not everybody who has previously had a visa may want to come, but
the family scheme will capture a considerable number of family
members. Obviously, those who have been here before will be
eligible to come within the family route, and we will make sure
that that works.
(Romsey and Southampton
North) (Con)
As might be expected of a former Immigration Minister, I pay
tribute to all the hard-working Home Office staff, particular
those in region. Community sponsorship works—it really does—and
we have long been recognised as global leader in it. Can I be
reassured that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will make
sure that this scheme works at pace, however, because that is one
of the biggest lessons we have had to learn? We need this to work
quickly because people are being bombed as they try to flee
Ukraine. We often hear the language of burden sharing when we
talk about refugees, but it is not a burden. We should regard it
as a privilege to be in a position to help.
I echo the last words that my right hon. Friend used, because it
is an absolute privilege—it is a dreadful phrase actually—for us
not just to stand up in the world but give support to other human
beings. She is absolutely right about community sponsorship,
which we looked at for other schemes last year—Afghanistan and
all the rest of it—and it works but needs to be stood up fast.
Standing up schemes fast also means that they sometimes fall over
if they are not set up properly, and we intend to ensure that we
have the basics in place. As I have said, we need the
accommodation, the facilities, and the wraparound support and
care that are so important. We are building on lessons from
previous schemes, but we are also working across Government to
look at how we can bring it in fast.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
The contrast between the desperate scenes of ordinary Ukrainians
fighting for their lives or fleeing for their lives and the Home
Secretary’s condescending and complacent “we are already doing so
much we should be praised” statement is deeply troubling,
especially given the long delays and numerous failings of the
Afghan citizens settlement scheme and the asylum system more
generally. Can she tell me whether a constituent of mine who is
British and his Ukrainian partner can expect to be able to
welcome her brother and sister, niece and nephew, and grandfather
or grandmother, regardless of her immigration status?
The hon. Lady can send in the case and we will pick it up.
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for her statement. It is clear that
this is not a business-as-usual immigration exercise or mass
economic migration; this is women, children and elderly people
fleeing for their lives, and not knowing if they will see their
fathers, sons, brothers or husbands ever again. I welcome the
compassionate set of measures that my right hon. Friend has
announced today. Does she agree that as well as providing safe
haven for refugees fleeing the conflict, it is equally important
that we throw every single economic and diplomatic sanction at
the Russian regime and send the very clear message to Putin that
he must withdraw his troops and peace must be restored in
Ukraine?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is not a moment for
making flippant remarks or anything of that nature, which has
obviously taken place in the House in some quarters today. This
is a collective effort. Putin must fail. There is no equivocation
here, and no ambiguity whatsoever. My hon. Friend speaks with
great passion, and she is absolutely right about the implications
and consequences. None of us can fail to be moved not just by
watching what we see on our screens, but by some of the
conversations—I have had some very harrowing conversations with
my counterparts—that will concentrate people’s minds as well as
some of the wider implications we are seeing. We need Putin to
fail. We have to be united. We have to apply every single
economic, diplomatic and military measure, in a consistent and
united way.
(Upper Bann) (DUP)
I thank the Secretary of State for her tireless efforts in these
difficult days. Many missionaries from Northern Ireland and from
across the United Kingdom are serving in Ukraine and helping
those in need. Likewise, the local response of gathering
practical aid in my constituency is humbling and commendable. Can
the Secretary of State tell us what is being done to work with
the extensive church networks in Ukraine to deliver and
distribute much-needed aid to those who are in need?
The hon. Member makes a very important point. In fact, that was
part of the conversation I had today with the ambassador. Aid in
country is needed—it is absolutely needed—and getting aid into
the country is a challenge. We should just be honest and level
about this. It is not straightforward: with all the restrictions
and the situation on the ground, it is very difficult. I just
want to thank the missionaries and commend their work and that of
all third parties. They are risking their lives to save other
people’s lives. A lot of work is taking place in this area, and
the FCDO is leading on that humanitarian work. However, I want to
emphasise that this is a very difficult area, and it is getting
harder right now to get aid to people. This is exactly why the
United Nations, the Red Cross and other agencies are really
pulling together and coming together to help people in
country.
(North Dorset) (Con)
The Home Secretary is right when she says that we do not know
what is going to happen tomorrow or over the coming days, but one
does not have to be an expert fortune teller to know that all of
us across the House will be inundated by worried and concerned
constituents trying to do the best for their friends and
families. She has referenced, very helpfully, a new Member
support service in Portcullis House and elsewhere. I know it is a
small point in the general scheme of things, but can she flesh
out a little bit more information about it? Will it be adequately
resourced and will it be available to Members 24/7, because this
is a crisis that does not sleep and does not rest?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. To emphasise his point, this
is a crisis that does not sleep and does not rest: this is 24/7.
We are standing up an operation tomorrow in Portcullis House, and
we will obviously be working with all colleagues. I again urge
them to bring any representation and cases to us directly. We
will resource it accordingly, because we do expect the numbers to
go up. We will be very frank and honest about that. In the same
way, we will operationalise in region where we can, which will
also mean bringing more people into the region. We are already
working through our contingency planning, and we already have the
FCDO teams out there through the rapid taskforce team. If that
means we have to bring in more Border Force staff to go in and
other people from UK Visas and Immigration, we stand ready and we
are absolutely ready to do that.
(Cardiff West) (Lab)
Colleagues on both sides of the House were a little perturbed
yesterday when the Home Secretary said:
“I urge colleagues not to attempt casework themselves”.—[Official
Report, 28 February 2022; Vol. 709, c. 701.]
I am glad she has rowed back on that today in her statement. This
session has shown the vital role that Members can play in
bringing cases to the attention of Ministers where they need
action. I welcome what she has said about that. I have listened
carefully to her, and she said that she wanted to do things in a
united and international way. I do not think she ruled out taking
the approach of a temporary protection mechanism to allow access
to public services. At the end of the day, do we really want to
be a country that until recently was granting passports and
privileges to Putin’s friends but that will not waive visas for
Putin’s Ukrainian victims in their hour of need?
If I may, I will clarify a couple of things to the hon.
Gentleman. First, in terms of what I said about casework
yesterday, Members raise casework on the Floor of the House, and
that is absolutely fine—I have not said, “Don’t do that”—but it
is also the case that Members should bring cases directly in fast
time. In fact, colleagues have emailed me since the weekend. I
have been picking them up myself. Obviously it is much more
efficient just to come to me directly. We are all 24/7; that is
the nature of all our work. I have always said we will happily
pick those cases up, rather than having Members waiting to bring
them to the Floor of the House. That is the point I make.
I rule nothing out, but the point about visas is that having
documentation of individuals is important, particularly when they
come here to access public services, to gain employment and all
those kinds of things, and the biometric checks are also
important, and that is the point I have been making. We need to
do those checks and to keep them in place. We will work with all
colleagues. I am in touch with the commissioner in the EU. We
have to learn from each other, because this is a real-time
crisis, and things will probably get a lot worse, so we have to
have the agility and flexibility to respond.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
My constituent Tania, who is a dual British and Ukrainian
national, is very concerned about her mother and sister in Kyiv,
who she told me this morning are trying to get a train to safety.
Can I welcome the confirmation that my right hon. Friend has
given today that, God willing they make it, this family can be
reunited in King’s Lynn?
I say to my hon. Friend that clearly we will do everything we can
to help and support. It is very difficult. He will know from his
constituent that things are getting really hard in country.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
My constituent’s wife is a Ukrainian national who was granted a
spousal visa last week, but in order to travel to the UK, she
needs that visa added to her passport. The couple were in Poland
when the invasion occurred, and neither the British embassy nor
the third-party TLScontact can help. Can the Home Secretary
therefore make urgent arrangements to allow the bureaucracy to
take place in Warsaw, rather than their travelling back into the
path of danger in Lviv, as the UK visas advice line asked them to
do?
I am sure that can be done, because that will be documents of
permission to travel.
(Buckingham) (Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. In fast-moving
circumstances, she is making absolutely the right calls, not
least in the creation of the humanitarian support pathway.
Further to the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for
Forest of Dean (Mr Harper) earlier, history teaches us that
infiltration is a well-known Russian tactic that is likely to be
happening now. That is why we categorically must not drop the
security and biometric tests.
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Infiltration is one aspect,
but there is much wider security and intelligence information
that points to why we need these checks. We know—I have said it
already in this House—what Putin is capable of in terms of
threats to our own homeland security. We saw that with Salisbury.
People have died in our country, and it is right that we ensure
we check those who come to the United Kingdom.
(Bath) (LD)
A considerable number of the 650,000 refugees from Ukraine will
try to make it to the UK. I welcome the support that the
Government have announced and the compassionate words that the
Home Secretary has used today, but I worry that under the current
provisions of the Nationality and Borders Bill, those Ukrainians
would be criminalised, because they would be passing through
another country to get here. I sincerely hope that the Government
will look at the provisions of the Bill again and look at
supporting the Lords amendment to remove clause 11.
My question is this: I have a constituent with adult stepchildren
and grandchildren in Ukraine who we hope to bring over, so can
the Home Secretary confirm that the scheme she has announced
today will include stepchildren and grandchildren?
I absolutely reject the hon. Lady’s comments about round the
Nationality and Borders Bill, because this is the equivalent of a
safe route and it is a Government-sponsored scheme. The answer to
her question is yes, it is a Ukrainian families scheme.
(Sevenoaks) (Con)
I warmly welcome the Home Secretary’s open and generous statement
today, and I look forward to receiving details of how we in
Sevenoaks can support it. Over the past week, I have been
supporting my constituents Joanna and Sergei, who are both
British citizens and are desperate to bring their family over to
the UK. Sergei’s sisters and parents are stuck in Ukraine, and I
am extremely grateful that on the basis of the statement today,
they will be able to come over here. Can the Home Secretary give
some indication of how long she expects this process to take? She
does not need me to tell her that every day is vital.
No, and my hon. Friend is right to say that. I have said it
already during the statement, but the situation is
deteriorating—that is just a fact. We have been able to turn
cases around in hours, but I do not want to give any false hope
or expectation, because we have to look at everything from a
case-by-case perspective, which we will do. If she follows up
with me afterwards, we will pick this case up.
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
The Home Secretary talks about vital security checks, but she
needs to remember that we are predominantly talking about women
and children, considering that adult Ukrainian males cannot leave
the country anyway. As was pointed out, many people have already
got visas in the past. My constituent’s mother-in-law has managed
to flee to Poland, but she has been told she has to travel three
hours to an assessment centre that is much closer to the area of
conflict. That is causing the family so much concern that they
are looking to fly her to Ireland, where she can land without a
visa. What happens if someone lands in Ireland? How do they then
qualify to come over here? One other point is that my
constituent’s mother-in-law previously overstayed on a visa here,
because Crimea was annexed and she could not get home at that
time. Can the Home Secretary confirm that such things will not be
a red flag or a barrier to re-entry?
Absolutely. I would like to pick up both cases, and what I would
say is please send the information to us, so that we can advise
people of where they can go and save time in this process.
(East Dunbartonshire)
(SNP)
My constituent Tatsiana, a legal UK resident, and her
one-year-old baby, a British citizen, have been stranded for a
week without any support from this Government. To be completely
clear, this case has been followed through by email, and today my
office has been told by the authorities that they do not believe
their situation to be urgent. Does the Home Secretary agree, or
will she intervene and urgently help Tatsiana and baby Maria to
get home to East Dunbartonshire?
Yes, of course. I will need to see the case, as well, because the
hon. Lady is raising it for the first time. I will pick that
up.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
When it comes to resettlement housing, perfection can sometimes
be the enemy of the good. The Ministry of Defence leases 7,230
homes from Annington Homes, and they are unoccupied. We know that
there are unoccupied local authority homes and other public
estate, as well as short-term holiday lets and other
accommodation. Indeed, people want to open their own homes. Will
the Home Secretary ensure that she is maximising the use of all
the estate across the country, so that people are not languishing
for months in hotels, but are placed in communities where they
can start to rebuild their lives?
The hon. Lady has just made the case that I constantly make
across Departments when it comes to accommodation. We do not want
people in hotels. There is estate and Government land. There are
also private sector options, so we can unite and work together on
this.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
Can the Home Secretary confirm what initial discussions have
taken place with the Scottish Government and how the humanitarian
sponsorship pathway will work in Scotland, so that local
authorities and community and church groups, such as those in my
constituency that are keen to help Ukrainians with no family ties
in the UK, can do so apace?
It is an important point. Discussions have taken place; the
Immigration Minister started discussions last week with . Those discussions must take
place on a near-daily basis. Particularly for the sponsorship
route that I have just spoken about, there will obviously be
further statements and updates to the House and there is a lot of
work taking place in Government on it.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I first thank the Secretary of State and her ministerial team for
all that they are doing on the matter, particularly the
Immigration Minister.
It is important to tell this story. A lady from my constituency
who lives in Killyleagh contacted me on Sunday and I met her
yesterday morning. She has two children and a husband living in
Ukraine. She has lived in my constituency for two years and works
there. Her husband has been called up to fight in the army, which
we understand, meaning that her 15-year-old boy and
seven-year-old girl have to be looked after by elderly relatives
who perhaps, with respect, cannot do so. She wants to get them
home as soon as possible. Her option is to go there next week, on
7 March, to bring them home—the Immigration Minister has the
information. I make a plea to the Home Secretary to ensure that
she has the assistance that she needs so that she can get home to
Northern Ireland with her children as soon as possible.
Many others in my constituency who have elderly relatives have
also contacted me, and I understand that the Home Secretary is
working on that as well. I also gave the Immigration Minister
some information about Willowbrook Foods, which is offering jobs
to Ukrainians. It already has a Ukrainian workforce and it is
there, willing and able. People are generous—they are so great,
we just cannot get over it.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind words and comments. He is
absolutely right that we will hear many more cases of elderly
relatives and grandparents—that is a fact—which is why we have
created the family route. I have also been clear that we will
give those who come here access to public benefits and the chance
to work. We have an established diaspora community in the United
Kingdom that works in key industries and key locations, and we
will build on that. The Government, and not just the Home Office,
have had many offers from employers who absolutely want to help.
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