Tokenism: Priti Patel might wear a blue and yellow ribbon but she has not ended the hostile environment for refugees
PRITI PATEL’S Ukrainian refugee visa schemes are “unfit for purpose,” campaigners said today as it emerged only 1,200 people fleeing Russian aggression have arrived in Britain via the sponsorship route.
The Home Secretary apologised for visa delays after the latest official figures showed that less than 3 per cent of the 43,600 applicants to the Homes for Ukraine scheme are now in Britain.
Some 12,500 visas have been granted under the scheme, which allows ordinary Britons to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, leaving more than 70 per cent of applicants still waiting for an answer.
Listening to our own communities and organising within them holds the key to stopping the advance of Reform UK and other far-right initiatives, posits TONY CONWAY
Unions and campaigners condemn Home Secretary after government confirms scrapping of care worker visas
Secret consultation documents finally released after the Morning Star’s two-year freedom of information battle show the Home Office misrepresented public opinion, claiming support for policies that most respondents actually strongly criticised as dangerous and unfair, writes SOLOMON HUGHES