Exclusive

Fears Ukrainians can be exploited by human traffickers as Boy Scouts man make-shift desks

10 March 2022, 07:26

Scouts are manning the refugee driver registration in Poland.
Scouts are manning the refugee driver registration in Poland. Picture: LBC
Matthew Thompson

By Matthew Thompson

As fears grow in Poland of people traffickers exploiting the chaos at the Ukrainian border, an LBC investigation has found the system to protect refugees is being manned by Boy Scouts.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Over 1.3 million Ukrainian refugees have poured into Poland alone over the last fortnight. The overwhelming majority are women and children, and local authorities are struggling to cope.

At one processing centre in the town of Przemysl, nine miles from the border, up to 7,000 people a day are sorted and registered by their destination of choice. Drivers turn up constantly, offering lifts to cities right across Europe.

During the first few days, it was a free for all. But after reports of trafficking, authorities tightened the system. Even still, under an incredible amount of pressure, and manned by Boy Scouts, it simply cannot cope.

We posed as willing drivers, and were able to register by providing just a passport number and car registration plate. It could have been any plate. Our details were taken by a Boy Scout, one of many volunteers who had arrived to lend a hand. We were given wristbands, and allowed access to the centre, where hundreds of refugees wait to be taken to destinations around Europe.

Read more: Children buried under rubble as Russian air strike hits maternity hospital

Read more: Ukraine: Calls for ceasefire as Chernobyl safety systems 'at risk' after power outage

Matthew Thompson reports from transport hub in Poland

Strictly speaking, once we had found passengers, we were supposed to inform the authorities. But there were no checks. And few refugees we spoke to were aware they needed to tell anyone about their departure.

Even outside the processing centre, drivers held scrawled signs offering lifts. Some had wristbands. Some did not.

The vast majority of people here want to do good, and help people in desperate need. But such is the scale of this crisis, that no system can reliably ensure that everyone is safe from those with ill intentions.

Read more: David Cameron brands Putin a 'phenomenal liar' who lied over shooting down MH17

Signs inside the makeshift centre in Przemyśl, Poland.
Signs inside the makeshift centre in Przemyśl, Poland. Picture: LBC

The UK Government is facing increasing pressure to offer more safe routes for Ukrainian refugees, having only granted just over 700 visas out of 22,000 applications since the start of the war.

In comparison, Poland has taken in more than 1.2 million Ukrainians.

Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko told a parliamentary committee that he understood security checks were required, but asked for the visa process to be simplified.

Transport Secretary Grand Shapps told LBC we "need to know who is coming here" as he warned it's "not beyond Putin to send people here to cause trouble".

Boy scouts manned the desks at the makeshift centre in Przemyśl, Poland.
Boy scouts manned the desks at the makeshift centre in Przemyśl, Poland. Picture: LBC

Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt told LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr the UK's response to the refugee crisis was a "big area of failure".

"I think the Government has broadly done the right thing so far in nearly every area, and I really do praise what they have done, but this is a big area of failure where we have misjudged the public mood," Mr Hunt said.

His comments come after LBC exclusively uncovered that a UK visa application centre used to process Ukrainian refugees in Poland did not open its doors to a waiting crowd, despite the Government's promise to speed up its response to people displaced by war.

Refugees gather at centre in Poland

In scenes that shame the UK approach to the refugees, people waving British passports who were trying to secure visas for loved ones were left shivering in the minus-3 degree cold for three hours while the centre's doors stayed shut.

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, has pledged a visa centre will be set up in France for Ukrainians who have made it that far, while James Cleverly, the Foreign Office minister, said he was sure the Home Office will expand its ability to process applications.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Exclusive
The former Deputy Foreign Secretary said: “Many countries in Europe are simply not spending anywhere near, in percentage terms, what America is spending.

UK needs to ‘spend less on welfare and more on defence’ to support Ukraine, former Deputy Foreign Secretary tells LBC

Breaking
Craig and Lindsay Foreman

British couple detained in Iran pictured for the first time as family break silence on 'distressing situation'

The Jet2 plane was forced to divert.

Jet2 plane bound for UK makes emergency landing after passenger dies on board

he Philadelphia Eagles celebrate in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art during the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Championship Parade on February 14, 2025

Two women shot and injured during Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl victory parade, police say

Social media footage showed a man being kicked on the ground by his knife-wielding attacker.

Two charged by police after shock footage shows man kicked and spat at by knifeman after ‘burning Koran’ in London

Jannik Sinner

World tennis number one Jannik Sinner handed three-month ban for doping

Keith Edun, 47, used the messaging app “Kik” to spread vile images of children

Predator who encouraged man to rape a baby after sharing vile images of children online is jailed for 21 years

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 61st Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2025 in Munich, Germany.

Zelenskyy calls for creation of ‘European army’ as he warns Russia 'will pull Europe apart' if not defeated

The woman who said she was raped by rappers and business moguls Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2000, when she was 13, has dropped her civil lawsuit against both men.

Woman who accused Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of raping her when she was 13 drops lawsuit

Liam Payne died last Wednesday.

One Direction star Liam Payne was 'sectioned' after near-fatal overdose months before death, close friend claims

Hamas hands over 3 Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip to Red Cross

Israeli hostages paraded on stage before being freed as four Palestinian prisoners released in 'critical condition'

uk british national lottery euromillions ticket with picks

Winning numbers revealed as single UK EuroMillions ticket holder scoops massive £65million Valentine’s Day jackpot

Breaking
Emergency services were called just after 7pm on Friday amid reports a woman had suffered serious injuries

Woman dies after Valentine's Day shooting at village pub as murder probe launched

Rob and Lindsey Burrow a few weeks before he died

Rob Burrow's wife reveals heartbreaking moment she knew rugby league star 'couldn't go on' with MND struggle

Axel Rudakubana will be 'target number one' in prison

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana's sentence won't be referred to Court of Appeal despite claims it's 'unduly lenient'

The damaged shield

'Risk of radioactive leak' after Russian 'high explosive' drone hits Chernobyl, causing 'significant damage'