A COUPLE from Durham who are attempting to ‘save’ a Ukrainian woman and her 11-year-old daughter has blamed “bureaucratic hurdles” in not being able to bring the refugees to the UK, despite travelling to the Poland/Ukraine border themselves.
Graham Hughes and partner Kathryn have made several journeys to the Poland/Ukraine border to deliver humanitarian aid since the Ukraine crisis began on February 24.
In one of the journeys, the County Durham couple were able to sponsor a Ukrainian woman and her daughter, who had recently managed to escape the horrors of Mariupol and thought it would be a “straightforward” process.
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However, during the last month, the Durham residents have faced “challenge after challenge” and are still no nearer to getting a decision to bring the Ukrainian pair up to the North East.
After coming to the end of their tether, Graham and Kathryn raised their case with City of Durham MP, Mary Kelly Foy, who raised the issue at the House of Commons yesterday (April 25).
Speaking directly to Home Secretary, Priti Patel, Ms Foy said: “My constituent Graham Hughes is today doing his latest humanitarian run to Poland and hopes to return with a Ukrainian refugee and her 11-year-old daughter, who recently managed to escape the horrors of Mariupol shortly before the evacuation routes closed but they're now waiting anxiously in Lviv.
“Yet, despite Graham and his partner applying to sponsor them nearly a month ago, they are yet to be granted passage to the UK.
“Graham and Kathryn are ready to bring these people to safety in Durham, will the Home Secretary do everything possible to expedite this case?”
After agreeing to investigate the case in response to Ms Foy’s question, the Home Secretary backed asked the Durham MP to pass on her thanks to her constituent who was travelling to Durham to Poland and to request the specific details so that her department can “ensure that the visa side and the sponsorship side do actually match up”.
However, following the question, Ms Foy has now expressed her “disappointment” that Priti Patel did not acknowledge the delays in processing visa applications.
She added: “Graham’s story is sadly not unique. My office has been in contact with numerous Durham residents who have made incredibly kind offers of accommodation to Ukrainian refugees, but these are being derailed by bureaucratic delays within the Home Office.
“I remain totally unconvinced by the Home Office’s decision to insist that visas are issued in full before coming to the UK.
“As such, both refugees and their sponsors are left in total limbo, with no communication regarding when they may be able to come to safety.
“The process is not fit for purpose and is seemingly intentionally complicated, it appears designed to fail. No other European country has put such barriers in front of innocent people fleeing the horrors of war.”
Ms Foy’s question comes on the same day that it has been found that almost 1,000 families are still waiting for visas over a month after applying.
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