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. 

The Home Office figures also show that, as of Tuesday, 10,800 people have arrived in Britain under the Ukraine family scheme, with 28,500 applications granted out of 36,300 requests. 

Commenting on the figures, Ms Patel told the BBC on Friday: “I apologise with frustration myself… It takes time to start up a new route.”

But campaigners questioned the sincerity of her apology, arguing that if she was serious about helping people driven out of Ukraine, she would waive visa requirements for them. 

Freedom from Torture chief executive Sonya Sceats said: “Priti Patel is not sorry for failing to help refugees, it’s merely dawning on her that the compassionate British public want to help refugees and have lost confidence in her.”

Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon accused ministers of “choosing control over compassion.” 

Britons who are prepared to open up their homes have been left feeling “angry and frustrated that their gesture of support has been lost into a web of bureaucracy and chaos,” he said, adding: “It’s clear that the visa schemes … are unfit for purpose.”

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper branded the figures scandalous and shameful and urged Ms Patel to “stop hiding and account for this national disgrace.” 

Ordinary people signing up to sponsor Ukrainian refugees have also hit out at the scheme. 

Jane Finlay, a writer who lives in Cornwall, said that it took her over 11 hours to fill in the forms and nine days to bring the family to Britain. 

She said that some of the questions were “completely irrelevant” and appeared to have been cut and pasted from another scheme. 

“I’m still hearing daily of women and children in basements not able to come over because the visas haven’t been processed. It’s absolutely heartbreaking,” Ms Finlay said.

“We absolutely believe … this government should waive the visa.”