This is what the start of the complex process currently looks like for desperate Ukrainians trying to get UK visas to escape the war... pos.tlscontact.com/kbp_en/home
See the small print? Fill in a visa application form. Get a GWF reference, whatever the **** that is. And make your way through a warzone to submit your biometrics and support documentation.
Then wait, and pray.
There's a real sickness in the Tory ranks. How can this be ok?
Plus guess what... that's a UK phone number. So presumably those are also UK opening times.
The UK visa process is as much of a Hostile Environment as the terrain they have to cross to initiate the process.
Shameful. Shameful. Shameful.
Ireland's version (paraphrased, but not much): "Hi, I see by your passport you're Ukrainian. Come in! Come in!"
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There is no other conclusion possible after reading these 2 documents explaining how UK visa concessions for Ukrainians should be applied by Immigration staff.
(This is the guidance for them, not the public.)
Please keep reading...
Document 1: "Concession to the Immigration Rules for Ukrainian nationals on family routes"
One of the most frightening things about the invasion of Ukraine is the number of influential people who don't acknowledge that global nuclear war is an extinction event.
A few leaders and their elite entourage might survive in bunkers. But for everyone else, it's THE END.
The corollary must then be that ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING must be done to avoid that scenario.
Nato forces shooting down Russian planes and engaging Russian troops would precipitate it.
It shouldn't even be up for discussion because the downside ends the human race.
Two very small nuclear weapons (by modern standards) have been used in war, and they caused casualties so horrific it's impossible to adequately describe. I have been to the Hiroshima Memorial and the Nagasaki Peace Park. I have never wept more.
The Tories have been playing the media (and by extension the British people for fools).
There have been no new visa concessions made to Ukrainians trying to flee the war since 24 Feb, despite announcements on 27 Feb and yesterday that things had changed.
Here's the situation...
The above is my visual summary of the current (27 Feb update) government guidance, which you can see for yourself at the link below: gov.uk/guidance/suppo…
24 Feb version of the guidance (via Internet Archive) has the identical small list of exemptions. web.archive.org/web/2022022418…
Journalists took the Tories at their word and published stories about the situation improving, without ever going back to the official guidance to see that nothing had in fact changed. You will find a lot of reports in the last 3 days about how the UK was doing more for refugees.
There's been huge interest in the UK visa concessions for Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war.
Here's a graphical summary I made of just how meagre the UK response has been to date.
You can find the full current (27 Feb) guidance at the link below. gov.uk/guidance/suppo…
IMPORTANT: This isn't an official document. It's my *interpretation* of an official document. I have tried hard to keep it correct. But corrections are welcome.
For reference, the EU equivalent would be a table full of "Yes". They're offering 3 years of sanctuary to all-comers.
I have also prepared a PDF version, which may be easier to read. It's available to download at the link below.
FINAL NOTE: This is based on the most recent visa concessions from the Home Office. Things change. I can't guarantee future accuracy. drive.google.com/file/d/1pcguft…
Been staring at the material about UK visas for Ukrainians for 3 days, yet this only just hit me...
The Home Office is only making concessions to:
- Ukrainian citizens in the UK
- Ukrainian citizens with strong family ties to British citizens *IN UKRAINE* medium.com/@edwinhayward/…
Here's the link to the official Government guidance. It's so badly worded, I must have read it thirty times before the nuance sank in that there's no concession for Ukrainians related to British people who are still in Britain. gov.uk/guidance/suppo…
In fact, this seems so abhorrent I'm beginning to doubt myself. If you have the time, please take a few minutes to read the guidance, especially the sections labelled "Non-British family members of British nationals in Ukraine" and "Other visas". Thank you.