Refugees from Ukraine

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Why does it always take being hauled into the House of Commons to make basic changes? A maternity hospital was bombed; people are fleeing for their lives. The Home Office's response has been a total disgrace. 90-year-old holocaust survivors, mums with kids, have faced queues and travel challenges. Why introduce online approach now when intelligence suggested an invasion weeks ago? What about Ukrainian healthcare workers bringing parents?

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Asks the Home Secretary to keep in touch with European partners on practices and procedures to help those fleeing from war crimes and breaches of international rules of war, emphasising the need for a coordinated response.

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Welcomes the Government's change of stance but criticises its delayed response. Questions whether the measures announced cover a loophole where Ukrainians without permanent residency cannot bring relatives to the UK. Also asks about discussions with devolved Administrations.

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Suggests establishing a hub for Ukrainians in the UK to facilitate biometric checks and provisional visas.

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Questions the Home Secretary about TLScontact's role in biometric checks amid reports of reputational damage due to profit motives and lengthy visa application processes.

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Proposes suspending carrier liability duty for Ukrainian passport holders and removing Ukraine from the list of excluded countries to expedite visa processing.

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Asks why the Government did not put measures in place earlier, given prior knowledge of Putin's intentions. Also queries whether work is being done on changing International Criminal Court laws.

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I am grateful for what my right hon. Friend said about the number of appointments there will be, and I am grateful to the visa application centre staff for working so hard, but I understand that the Warsaw centre closes at 5 pm and at weekends. Could she do something to extend the opening hours?

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I do not think I have ever seen my Edinburgh South West constituents more angry than they are this week about what the Government have done, or not done, so far. The fictional Prime Minister Jim Hacker once said: “It doesn’t do the Government any good to look heartless and feeble simultaneously”. Well, I am afraid this Government have for the past week. I welcome this U-turn, but will the Home Secretary take the opportunity to apologise to the Ukrainian refugees whose suffering has been needlessly exacerbated by the Home Office’s ineptitude?

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I welcome my right hon. Friend’s announcement today, and she knows that I and others have been pushing for tech and biometrics to be used more constructively. On the repurposing of officials and their movement to the front-line, not just from within the Home Office, but from across Government, will she work with the excellent new refugees Minister to ensure that we can get that sense of co-ordination and urgency here?

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Will the Home Secretary confirm that Ukrainians with dual nationality, for example, Ukrainian and Romanian nationality, will none the less be able to come to the UK under the family scheme?

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I am grateful for the announcement today, which will directly benefit the families of my constituents. May I ask for a point of clarification? Can a Ukrainian who has a Ukrainian ID card rather than a passport apply entirely online?

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It is disappointing that the right hon. Lady needs to be dragged here to make the process simpler and quicker. A lot of the people in this country will not understand why it is so complicated.

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As one of the top six customers of the Home Office on immigration issues, I have seen how this situation underlines the chaos in the Home Office’s immigration system. It is really struggling to keep up with the basics and when dealing with this surge it has understandably crumbled under the pressure.

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I welcome what the Home Secretary said about combining security with a generous approach, both of which are essential and must be delivered. In my experience of the Home Office, officials there who are focused on the protection of our country respond well to clear and decisive leadership.

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I commend my right hon. Friend for the calm and collected manner in which she presented the statement and for the manner in which she has dealt with the really serious and complicated problems that this situation represents.

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The Home Secretary is doing a difficult job at this stressful time because of the horrible war that Putin has unleashed against these innocent people, but may I give her one tiny bit of advice? We really want to keep this cross-party support for the people in Ukraine.

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I did not hear correctly whether it was 13,000 appointments per day or per week. Have we beefed up the visa application centre in Moldova?

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My constituent needs help making digital applications in Ukrainian. Will it be possible, in future, to make these applications in Ukrainian?

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Will you consider a direct link for the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain into the Home Office?

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My constituent’s wife was told she has to book an appointment online but the system isn't working. What should Liudmyla do?

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Will you thank British families who wish to help Ukrainian families and tell them that you will work night and day to enable them to fulfill their generosity?

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My constituent was told to apply for an appointment again but online systems are not working. What will help my constituent forward?

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Are new arrangements for biometrics capacity simply for those coming on a family route or do they apply more generally? When will we hear more about the humanitarian sponsorship route?

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Artur Nadiiev, a Ukrainian PhD student at the University of Nottingham, needs help with his visa application and TB test requirements. Can he now obtain his visa without needing to travel to a third country?

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Will the integrity of appropriate security checks be maintained while speeding up the visa process?

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May I seek clarification on the issue of work visas? Will those here on work visas be able to bring dependent relatives?

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Is there a route for Ukrainian software engineers who oppose Putin's war to come here before Putin slams the door shut?

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Asked about the Home Office's responsibility for refugees under both sponsorship and family schemes, and inquired about current arrangements and timetables.

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Inquired about the processing of visas for Ukrainian refugees currently in northern France.

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Asked about assessments of vulnerable categories and how many people will be helped.

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Inquired about making the resettlement system flexible for temporary basis.

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Asked about resettlement schemes for orphans and unaccompanied children, considering visa waivers.

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Asked about working with the Communities Secretary for welcoming Ukrainian refugees in Staffordshire.

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Raised concerns about surrogacy cases and family visa scheme.

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Asked for assurance that the balance between national security and removing bureaucracy is optimal.

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Critiqued the Home Secretary's stance and inquired about visa-free entry.

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Welcomed digitalisation of family scheme and asked for assurance on system capacity.

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Welcomes improvements to the current scheme for Ukrainians fleeing violence but notes a lack of urgency and flexibility from the UK, asking what more will be done as the humanitarian situation deteriorates.

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Welcomes simplification of the scheme and asks for more information on Home Office staff surge capacity to process visa applications.

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Requests an update on discussions between the Home Office and Scottish Government regarding refugee intake from Ukraine.

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Welcomes new flexibilities and asks for further practical measures to speed up documentation processing, including accepting alternative forms of identification.