LONDON, February 27 (DPA/EP) –
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had assured this Saturday that the country would “certainly” welcome Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war and had pledged to help those who fled the country “fearing for their lives”.
This was stated by Johnson at a news conference, after the opposition accused him of not welcoming refugees into the country and of not relaxing visa restrictions for those seeking refuge in Britain, something Labor has described as “immoral”.
But Interior Minister Priti Patel has hit back, accusing the opposition of “terrible misinformation” and saying the claims were “grossly false”.
Asked why Britain does not accept refugees from other countries, Johnson assured that “of course” Britain will accept refugees. “This country has played a historic and proud role in welcoming refugees from all conflicts,” he explained.
“If you think about what we did in Afghanistan, for example, Britain is way ahead,” said the UK president, who also said that “he is aware of” “fake news” circulating on the Internet.
“Britain is way ahead in our willingness to help the refugees… We have sent 1,000 troops (to the border countries), to be ready to help with the entry and of course we will help people who are fleeing in fear for their lives . . ,” said Johnson.
Likewise, a government spokesman explained that Britain’s “priority” is to support British nationals and their dependents living in Ukraine who wish to leave the country.
“We work tirelessly to process visa applications and we process many applications in a matter of hours,” the spokesperson said.
Asylum application fees are temporarily waived for those who can enter through family channels, while those who do not meet the requirements are only allowed to enter for 12 months, as reported by the DPA agency.
Meanwhile, the main UK visa application center in Kiev has been closed. The center of Lviv – in the west of the country – is the only one still open to relatives of British citizens in Ukraine.
Consular staff from Kiev have been “deployed” to centers in other nearby countries, such as Poland, Moldova, Romania and Hungary, to assist those who make it across the border.
“Ukrainians can apply for visas from these centers and we have announced concessions for Ukrainians currently in the UK to extend or change their visas,” the spokesperson said.
