Latest editorial
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
Britain’s proud asylum history, from sheltering the Kindertransport escaping Hitler to Basque children fleeing fascist Spain, required tireless campaigning against persistent opposition — and it’s up to all of us to do our part today, writes SABINA PRICE
