Charities Encourage the UK to Welcome Refugees from Ukraine

Charities including Amnesty International, Save the Children and the Refugee Council have encouraged the UK to welcome refugees from Ukraine following the outbreak of conflict in the country. The White House has already confirmed that the US is ready to support Ukrainian refugees and welcome them into America. This follows a report that suggests that 100,000 Ukrainians have already fled their homes following the invasion by Russia. The US has warned that there is potential for around 5 million people to be displaced as a result of the conflict. 

The UK government has announced that it will prioritize support for British nationals and their relatives in Ukraine. They have also stated that those fleeing the country should seek asylum in the first safe country that they access. However, charities have urged for a better response to the conflict as they penned letters to the UK government advocating for the implementation of support for Ukrainian refugees.

One of the main critiques that the charities have found with the UK government’s attitude to this crisis is the Nationality and Borders Bill which has made it illegal for refugees to access the country without a visa or by illegal means, such as via boat across the channel, and the UK has failed to set up a safe and legal refugee route for Ukrainian refugees to reach the country. This has essentially made it so that there is no way for Ukrainian refugees to legally enter the country as visa applications from the country have been suspended to those who are not family members of British nationals. This has led UK charities to urge the government to amend this bill in order to help those fleeing Ukraine to find safety from the escalating conflict. 

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