The tragic scenes unfolding in Ukraine have been met by many of us with a combination of horror, exasperation and anger. Above all we have been deeply moved by the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people and their leaders and their determination to stand up the entirely unjustifiable aggression from Putin and his henchmen. Footage of innocent victims of the invasion undoubtedly as a result of the illegal use of munitions has shocked us all, but also united us all in a common outpouring of our solidarity with brave Ukraine.
Not surprisingly many people have contacted me to express their concern for the Ukrainian people, urge the Government to do more, especially as regards taking in refugees fleeing the conflict, and ask what practical help they can give. In this fast-moving situation it has been difficult to give practical advice to everyone who has got in touch so please excuse this comprehensive positing to try to address most of the issue that have been raised.
Whilst there has been some frustration at the initial Government response on the issue of taking in refugees, the Home Secretary has now announced a very extensive and generous route to safe haven for potentially hundreds of thousands and without a cap on numbers. The biggest pressures around people crossing the Ukrainian border have been on neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania. The Home Office has been in constant contact with the authorities there and their most immediate request is for aid to feed, clothe and help accommodate the mostly women and children arriving.
Home Office staff have been surged to the area to help with those people who have links with the UK and want to come here and will be welcomed. For many who have left husbands and sons especially behind to fight they want to stay close to their homeland and be able to return as soon as possible and our best contribution is to help with aid with that which the Government has already been doing. Today the Prime Minister announced an appeal from the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee where the Government will match public donations pound for pound starting with £20m. You can find details here https://www.dec.org.uk/
I am aware that locally there are some appeals for funds or essential support, and they are to be congratulated. Ukrainian flags are being run up municipal flag poles and demonstrations of solidarity are being organised. In the case of Adur which is twinned with Zywiec in Poland there may be some existing links that mean it is practical to transport bulky goods out there. If not, the most practical alternative will be to give funds or help raise funds for legitimate charities like DEC which has the infrastructure to make sure aid is able to get to where it is most needed.
If local people would like to give me the details of local initiatives, which have considered the logistics of getting practical support out to Ukrainians then I will be happy to post them here and elsewhere on my social media.
Elsewhere the amount of support and practical help the UK has been giving to Ukraine for some time now is genuinely impressive. Whatever criticism you or I might have of the Prime Minister on other fronts he has certainly been instrumental in building an international campaign to wage war on the Russians economically and politically and provide arms and aid to the Ukrainians.
- We supplied Ukraine with light anti-tank weapons, increasing their defensive capabilities against threatening behaviour. In January, a defensive support package supplied Ukraine with 2,000 light, anti-armour weapons for defensive use against Russian tanks, as well as a small number of UK personnel who provided initial training to Ukrainian military personnel.
- We supplied Ukraine with defensive equipment to complement Operation Orbital training and build on the £2.2 million of non-lethal equipment provided since 2015. In February, in response to a request from the Ukrainian Government, we provided additional defensive equipment including body armour, helmets and combat boots, to complement the training provided by the UK and our allies – building on the £2.2 million in non-lethal military equipment we have provided since 2015.
- We trained over 22,000 Ukrainian troops through Operation Orbital, providing them with the skills they need to defend their country. Since 2015, the UK has helped build the resilience and capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through Operation ORBITAL which has trained around 22,000 Ukrainian troops, giving them the skills they need to take on Russian aggression, including operational planning, urban siege training and countering attacks from snipers and armed vehicles.
- This weekend, UK forces arrived in eastern Europe, bolstering NATO’s eastern flank. Royal Navy ships, British Army troops, and Royal Air force fights are arriving on new deployments in Eastern Europe - alongside our NATO Allies, these deployments constitute a credible deterrent to stop Russian aggression threatening the territorial sovereignty of member states.
For those who say why are the West not doing more militarily, and in particular declaring a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine to protect them from Russian aerial bombardment or taking out the long line of tanks advancing on Kiev. Attractive though this might appear it would effectively mean NATO forces shooting down Russian planes and tanks and then we are in to a whole new level and danger of global conflict. I know how frustrating that may appear but when you are dealing with an unhinged despot like Putin it is essential that we do not cause a drastic escalation of the conflict at this stage at least.
People have also asked why we have not banned Russian TV in the UK yet. That is very tempting and justified on the face of it but there is logic in having resisted so far. But we need to consider the following points:
- Ofcom is an independent regulator which does not take orders from the Government, quite rightly
- In the UK it has been the practice to leave regulation of broadcasters and whether they have breached their licence to the regulator rather than censorship by the Government of the day
- The most influential broadcaster in Russia is the BBC listened to as a beacon of truth by millions. In the UK few people listen to RT or Sputnik and certainly do not do so in most cases because they are beacons of truth. If they do they are beyond redemption. If RT is banned in the UK no doubt Russia would immediately block the BBC thereby cutting off decent Russian citizens from an important source of objective news about what is really going on in Ukraine, in the same way as they banned BA after we banned Aeroflot.
Given the bravery of the many thousands of Russian citizens who have taken to the streets in cities across that country, it is essential that they have access to genuine news about what is really going on in Ukraine to bring as much pressure to bear on Putin and his military machine which appears increasingly frustrated with the immoral mission on which they have been sent. If it means a few people continuing to be brainwashed RT in the UK then I can live with that.
I have set out below some practical advice on:
- How you can give practical help, and I will add to this
- Details of what help is available for Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK
- Details of support available for businesses who are impacted by the sanctions against Russia.
As I have said, we will continue to add to this page as more relevant information becomes available and, in the meantime, if you think there is anything I have missed please do let me know.
Slava Ukraini!
Humanitarian Support
- We have pledged £140 million in aid to Ukraine, helping with the response to the humanitarian situation, and strengthening Ukrainian defences. The funding will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, creating a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities and medical supplies such as medicines, syringes, dressings and wound care packs. We have also put funding in place to help to reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian energy supplies.
- We are guaranteeing up to $500 million of Ukrainian Development Bank financing, injecting vital capital into Ukraine and helping its economy weather the storm of Russian aggression. We stand ready to offer guarantees of Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) lending for projects that will support economic stability and vital reforms such as tackling anti-corruption.
Refugee and Visa Support
Family members of British nationals resident in Ukraine who need a UK visa can apply through the temporary location in Lviv, or through Visa Application Centres in Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary.
The Government have created additional capacity in all locations at pace, in anticipation of the invasion of Ukraine. This includes a pop-up Visa Application Centre in Rzeszow in Poland, which has provided total capacity currently of well over 3,000 appointments per week.
There remains availability for appointments and walk-ins across every location.
The usual language requirements and sala ry thresholds to come to the UK to be with their family members have been removed. Where family members of British nationals do not meet the usual eligibility criteria - but do pass all security checks – the Government will give them permission to enter the UK outside the usual rules for 12 months.
This means that British nationals and any person settled in the UK can bring over immediate Ukrainian family members. Through this policy alone, an additional 100,000 Ukrainians could be eligible to come to the UK and access work and public services.
There is no limit on the numbers eligible under this route.
Anyone in Ukraine intending to apply under the Family Migration route should contact the dedicated 24-hour Home Office line for assistance before applying. Ukrainian nationals already in the UK have been given the option to switch – free of charge – to a points-based immigration route or a family visa route.
Visas for Ukrainian temporary workers in some sectors are being extended, so they can stay until at least the 31st of December this year.
I have had some constituents calling for visa waivers – I do have concerns with this idea. We know that Russian troops are seeking to infiltrate and merge with Ukrainian forces. Extremists are on the ground and in the region, too. Given this, and also with Putin’s willingness to do violence on British soil, we cannot suspend any security or biometric checks on people we welcome to our country. We have a collective duty to keep the British people safe and this approach is based on the strongest security advice.
These measures have been designed to enable swift implementation, and that is the point, without the need for legislation or changes to immigration rules. The Ukrainian people need help immediately and we are bringing this in place now.
Firstly, the Government is establishing an expansive Ukrainian Family Scheme so that British nationals and people settled in the UK can bring a wider group of family members to the UK, extending eligibility to parents, grandparents, adult offspring, siblings, and their immediate family members. This scheme will be free.
Those joining family in the UK will be granted leave for an initial period of 12 months. They will be able to work and access public funds.
Secondly, the Government will establish a humanitarian sponsorship pathway, which will open up a route to the UK for Ukrainians who may not have family ties with the UK but who are able to match with individuals, charities, businesses, and community groups.
Those who come under this scheme will also be granted leave for an initial period of 12 months and they will be able to work and access public services.
The Home Office will work closely with international partners on the ground to ensure that displaced Ukrainians in need of a home are supported.
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up will work with the devolved administrations to ensure that those who want to sponsor an individual or a family can volunteer and be matched quickly with Ukrainians in need.
There will be no numerical limit on this scheme, and we will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and have matched sponsors.
Public Support
Breakdown of options:
- The Prime Minister announced that the UK Government will match pound-for-pound up to £20 million donated by the public to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal set up by the Disasters Emergency Committee. https://www.dec.org.uk/
- #HelpUkraine Emergency Appeal set up by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain which is raising funds to provide accredited and registered Ukrainian charities with medicine, food and vital services. https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpukraine?qid=546c25e9bfc9c469b7f7a57691d3d7c4
- UNHCR have set up an emergency appeal to provide long-term support to displaced families wherever and whenever it's needed most https://donate.unrefugees.org.uk/ukraine-emergency/
- UNICEF appeal to protect Ukrainian Children: https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/donate-now-to-protect-children-in-ukraine/
- Red Cross: https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal?
- Save the Children: https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/where-we-work/europe/ukraine
Business Support
If you are a local business and you have concerns about the impact on your business due to trade with Ukraine or Russia, MPs are asked to direct such businesses to the Export Support Service who will be offering guidance - https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team?
