of Thanassis Gavos
Simplifying the application process for Ukrainian refugees to obtain a visa to settle in United Kingdom announced the competent Minister of Interior, Priti Patel after the strong criticism for the chaotic process so far.
Informing the House of Commons, Ms. Patel said that from next Tuesday, Ukrainians with passports will no longer need to visit one of the visa application centers set up in various countries.
The whole process can be done online and they will be informed by email if the application has been approved. Only when they arrive in the UK will they be called in for their biometrics.
The process with physical presence in application centers will continue for those refugees who do not have a passport.
The change of procedure according to Ms. Patel was decided after new recommendations from the security services. However, she herself was under pressure, even from Conservative MPs, to simplify the system and address serious problems that had arisen, such as delays in the operation of the centers and complicated procedures resulting in additional inconvenience for the refugees.
The British government has so far approved only about a thousand visa applications from Ukrainian refugees, despite the fact that about 22,000 applications have been submitted.
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