London criticized for its limited reception of Ukrainian refugees

Refugees wait at the Vysne Nemecke border crossing, Slovakia, March 3, 2022. (Illustrative image) REUTERS - LUKASZ GLOWALA

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

More than 1.2 million Ukrainians have already left their country.

Officially, London says it expects to welcome 200,000 people - but only a handful have received their visas.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in London,

Fifty visas granted in 48 hours, while more than 10,000 Ukrainians have started the process since the opening of the program last Friday, according to the latest figures from the British Interior Ministry. 

Establishment

Minister Priti Patel promises that the process will accelerate very quickly, that it must be put in place.

She announces this Monday March 7 the forthcoming widening of the eligibility criteria – for now, only Ukrainians who already have a close family member settled in the UK or those who a company promises to apply can apply. to hire.

A minority among Ukrainians in exile. 

►Read:

The opposition denounces the slowness and complexity of the steps… “

”, criticizes Yvette Cooper, of the Labor Party.

Another subject of condemnation: the lightness of the British sanctions imposed so far, in particular against the oligarchs who own villas in London.

Government response

Government response: the organization of diplomatic meetings, this Monday with the Canadian Justin Trudeau and the Dutchman Mark Rutte, precisely to demand more sanctions from the international community... Boris Johnson must announce this Monday the payment of 90 million euros in aid to Ukraine to deal with the crisis. 

► 

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• UK

• Ukraine

• Russia

• Refugees