Cov woman’s anger at Home Office over visa chaos for Ukrainian parents

A Coventry woman has spoken of her frustration over a waiting game in obtaining a visa for her elderly parents who have fled Ukraine. Iryna King says she is still waiting for a UK visa for them more than 10 days after applying. Ms King told BBC Midlands Today how she travelled with her partner to Poland a fortnight ago to meet her parents at the border. She said the wait has continued, despite being told it would take up to seven days to get the visa.

She told the BBC “things could be done easier”. Changes have now been made to speed up the visa process, according to the Home Office, the BBC said. : The Voice star Karl Loxley to host charity concert for Ukraine in Coventry

After meeting her parents at the Polish border, the family drove to Paris in the hope doing the application there would be speedier than in Poland where thousands of refugees had amassed. Ms King said the Home Office had not been supportive, which she described as “upsetting”, and said the family had repeatedly been told to check online or call the visa centre, which, she said, was proving “impossible”. She told the BBC: “Things could be done easier, especially for a British citizen who has relatives – things could be done easier, not 10 days of waiting.” Ms King remains with her parents in Paris, saying she could not leave them as her 76-year-old father had some disabilities and could hardly walk.

“But we are watching the news every day and feeling they are in a safer place which makes them feel better because some people are sitting in shelters under rockets,” she said. Ms King said she had been in contact with Coventry Labour MP Zarah Sultana, who described the visa process as “completely shambolic”. Ms Sultana said: “I think the Government has not done the right thing.

I think the Government just has to allow the system to be much easier.” The Home Office told the BBC it has promised to look into Ms King’s case, adding the Government will “stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine”. A Home Office spokesman said: “The changes we’ve made to the visa process are making it quicker and simpler for Ukrainians to come here, as well as ensuring those already here can stay.” The Home Office has been heavily criticised for its response to the refugee crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine.

As well as flak from Labour, the Government has been attacked by MPs on its own side – and been accused of making it hard for people to apply to come in.

There have also been strident criticisms from many MPs that the scheme in the UK is insufficiently generous in comparison to many schemes in Europe where visas have been waived to allow huge numbers of refugees temporary shelter.