Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Homes for Ukraine: Family's 'torturous' wait for a UK visa

Homes for Ukraine: Family's 'torturous' wait for a UK visa

A British woman said she is expecting a "torturous" weeks-long wait before the Ukrainian refugee family she is sponsoring receives visas to travel.

Joanne Turner from Norwich said the refugees made their application as soon as the scheme opened on 18 March.

But three weeks on, Iryna, her daughter Sofia and her mother Elena are still stuck sharing a flat with a Polish family in Krakow.

"The feeling of uncertainty is the most frustrating," says Irina.

A government spokesperson said it had launched one of the "fastest and biggest visa schemes in UK history" following the invasion.

But as Home Secretary Priti Patel apologised for visa delays, Joanne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it felt as if their application was getting "nowhere, really".

She said they had made the application "as soon as the lines were first open" and had prepared their home, passing checks to ensure they had suitable accommodation.

"We had hoped that in a few days Iryna and her mum, Elena, and her little girl Sofia, would be with us in Norwich," she said. "Everything is ready."

But it was impossible to get a timeframe from the authorities, Joanne said, describing the responses from the government helpline as "pretty crazy stuff".

"We've been trying everything. There's a government helpline that you can get through to. I called them and they basically said we can't give you any information," she said.

"They were basically saying we are told to say nothing, we can't give any information on the status of the application."

Joanne said the process is "frustrating" for her, "but for Iryna and her family and all the other families that are trying to get to the UK, it's torturous really".

She told the BBC that they had shared photos of their house and their dog, an Irish setter called Rathlin, with the family as they waited. "Her little girl just wants to meet our dog," said Joanne.


In the meantime, Iryna and her family are sharing an apartment in Krakow with a Polish family.

She said the family have been kind but have been asking her how long she needs to stay and she doesn't know the answer.

"We expected to stay here a few days until all the documents were going to be ready. But it seems the time is going to be prolonged for a few weeks, not a couple of days," Iryna said.

"The feeling of uncertainty is the most frustrating, because if we knew how long it's going to be - a few more days, a few more weeks... Nobody is able to provide you with exact information about the timing."

She said her daughter is seven and has now missed more than a month of school since the invasion began.

They could not make any permanent arrangements in Poland because the country, which has seen more than 2.5 million cross the border since Russia attacked, is "overloaded with other Ukrainian refugees", Iryna said.

But she said she was "grateful" for the "proactive" efforts of British people and said she hoped it would be possible to find shelter in a few days.

The government spokesperson added: "In just four weeks, over 40,000 visas have been issued so people can rebuild their lives in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine.

"We are continuing to speed up visa processing across both schemes, including boosting caseworkers and simplifying the forms and we expect thousands more to come through these uncapped routes."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
×