Two new UK visa schemes have been announced for Ukrainians escaping the war - but only 5% of applications have been approved so far.

 

Two new UK visa schemes have been announced for Ukrainians fleeing the war, but so far only 5% of applications have been approved. Ukraine's family regime allows those fleeing the conflict to join relatives already living in Britain. A second visa, which is not yet in effect, promises to allow individuals and organizations to sponsor Ukrainians and connect them with family, whether or not they have any ties to the UK. “Catastrophic” situation in Mariupol; Follow updates from Ukraine live But chaotic scenes at visa hubs across Europe, and particularly at the UK border at Calais, have led to heavy criticism that the current visa system is n is not suitable for its purpose. Here, Sky News looks at what Ukrainians need to do to get a UK visa and why it's proving so difficult. David Carter is a British citizen struggling to get a visa to return home from Ukraine. go homeFamily Visa Pathway Last week, the Home Office announced that it was launching the Family Visa Program in Ukraine  to allow Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members to join relatives already living in the UK. This means that eligible Ukrainians must apply for a UK visa and cannot simply apply for asylum, but the usual rights, minimum wage and English language requirements are waived. Visas last for three years. It also requires them to submit biometrics, including fingerprints, to a visa application centre, while those arriving in EU countries do not as the blockade allows Ukrainians to enter without Visa. To be eligible for the scheme you must: • have a direct or extended family member based in the UK; • be a Ukrainian citizen or  a close family member of a Ukrainian citizen applying for the program; started on February 24) Your family member must be:•  British citizen • Have an established status in the UK, permanent residence permit or proof of permanent residence • An EU, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swiss or Liechtenstein citizen with established status, who has started living in  UK before 1 January 2021 • Someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK Initially the government said the scheme would only cover people with "immediate family" in the UK. This includes spouses, civil partners, children under 18, parents of children under 18, engaged couples, proposed civil partners and unmarried partners as long as you have lived together for at least two years. But after a backlash, it was quickly extended to "extended family". Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker These include siblings, parents over 18, children over 18, grandparents, grandchildren or the partner's grandchildren. The scheme also applies to immediate family members of such extended family members.This therefore also includes their spouses, civil partners, children  under 18, parents if they are under 18, boyfriends and proposed civil partners. Relationships must have begun before  January 1, 2022 for spouses, partners and fiancés of extended family members to be eligible. Why are so few visas granted? After applying online, people wishing to come to the UK are asked to make an appointment at a visa application center where they can submit their biometrics. With centers in Kyiv and Lviv closed as after the war, applicants must join the millions fleeing the country to  visa centers across Europe. A map of where Ukrainian refugees have fled Image: A map shows where Ukrainian refugees have fled The Interior Ministry has set up a pop-up center in Rzeszow, Poland, near the Ukrainian border, which, according to her, offers "more than 3,000 appointments" available per week. But British citizens with Ukrainian parents have described "chaotic" and "distressing" scenes of families arriving at understaffed centers with all their belongings and nowhere to stay while their applications are considered.Others said they were charged thousands of pounds when the Ukrainian program is free. And the Home Office has confirmed that only 500 applications have been approved so far out of the 10,000 currently active. Why their problems in Calais? Those eligible for the UK visa scheme have already made their way from Europe to France earlier, they hope, via Dover. On the Home Office website, they are told that even if they have left their home without documents such as marriage or birth certificates proving their relationship to a British national, they will still be approved as long as they will be able to "explain why they can't do it." But although Home Secretary Priti Patel told the House of Commons last week that there were Home Office staff in Calais, it has now emerged that they were only an "advice centre" made up of a small number of border force agents.