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Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP
The British government has come under increasing criticism for its treatment of war refugees from Ukraine.
According to the Interior Ministry in London, only about 50 visas for Ukrainians had been issued by Sunday.
This corresponds to less than one percent of all applications that have been submitted so far.
'It's too slow.
Too many hurdles for desperate families to overcome," Labor MP Yvette Cooper tweeted.
Johnson on Monday defended his government's actions, announcing a system that would be "very, very generous" and would also allow visa sponsorship for Ukrainians.
However, he also made it clear: 'What we are not going to do is have a system where people can come into the UK without being checked.
That wouldn't be right."
The United Nations estimates that more than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia began bombing the neighboring country, and hundreds of thousands have fled to Poland, Romania, Slovakia and other countries.
Unlike the EU countries, Great Britain does not want to accept Ukrainians without restrictions.
The criteria have recently been relaxed somewhat.
However, only those who already have relatives in Great Britain are allowed to enter the country.
According to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the "incredibly generous program" could accommodate up to 200,000 Ukrainians in Britain.
But the formalities are reportedly causing difficulties for many people.
"lack of humanity"
Criticism also comes from the ruling party itself. "This is certainly not a success," said the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the British House of Commons, Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, the radio station LBC on Monday.
It must be ensured that the Ministry of the Interior implements the promise to take in refugees from Ukraine.
France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin accused the British of a "lack of humanity" on Sunday.
Around 150 Ukrainians who wanted to travel across the English Channel to relatives in Great Britain were asked by the British side to first apply for visas in Paris or Brussels, said the Frenchman.
mfh/dpa
