Homes for Ukraine branded 'embarrassing publicity stunt' by refugees at Polish border

18 March 2022, 22:13

Flo's parents are hoping to sponsor Sergei but after spending 5 hours on paperwork they branded the UK scheme 'embarrassing''
Flo's parents are hoping to sponsor Sergei (right) but after spending 5 hours on paperwork they branded the UK scheme 'embarrassing''. Picture: Alamy/LBC

By Megan Hinton

The UK's Homes for Ukraine scheme has been branded an "embarrassing publicity stunt" after refugee's have been forced to spend hours filling in forms with information they "just don't have" after fleeing a war torn country.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

LBC's Vicky Etchells has spent the day at the humanitarian centre in Poland where thousands of people are still desperately fleeing over the border.

One volunteer Brit Flo, from Gloucester, who has been helping refugee Sergei to fill in forms, described the new scheme as "bureaucratic, laborious and finickity" after slamming the UK for their lack of presence at the border.

Flo's parents are hoping to sponsor Sergei but despite being in close contact with the UK sponsor, the Ukrainian refugee spent over five hours filling in forms and has had to pay to get documents translated into English.

Speaking to LBC Flo said: "So we’ve been here for five hours. These people are traumatised, Segei comes from Kyiv, which is being heavily bombed.

"And the last thing they need right now is like a heavily bureaucratic, laborious, finickity process like the one that we're having to go through right now.

Read more: Tory MP heckled by P&O staff after Govt admits being aware of mass sacking plan

Read more: Russian TV cuts away from Putin rally in World Cup stadium as he rambles about 'genocide'

Ukrainian refugee in Poland can’t think of possibility she won’t see her husband again

"How can I get closer to someone then literally it being my mother and father who I can call at any minute. I've got all their details. I know that all their details and I am sitting with the person trying to get across with my mum and dad over in the UK, not working, filling out all that information as I asked them. How could you get a closer link than that? And it's still taking us hours."

Explaining the process Flo said the UK government wanted documents scanned and sent over including passports, bank statements and even mortgage statements, something which refugee's may not have thought to bring when fleeing Russian bombardment.

The process includes having to pay to get the important Ukrainian documents translated into English after spending time scanning them into a specialised website.

Flo continued: "It's too big a stretch really to ask someone who's had to flee their town, 'oh actually, we want all of your mortgage documents and all of your paperwork and we actually now want it in English rather than Ukrainian'.

"All the other countries here are just sending hundreds of people off every few hours on the buses. And we're just literally sat here and it's taking one day to even go halfway through with Sergei."

Read more: Nick Ferrari Says: British people have stepped up over refugees but can the Govt?

Read more: Ex-PM David Cameron drives HGV to Poland to deliver supplies to Ukrainian refugees

Scottish Refugee Council chief on government Homes for Ukraine scheme

Speaking about his frustration with the scheme Sergei told LBC he worries about families filling in the form when the refugee centre has a turn around of just 15 hours.

"If you have let’s say a wife, husband, two kids, you [would] have to spend a couple days I think to fill all these forms, one by one," he said.

Expressing her frustration at the Government scheme, Flo continued: "It almost just feels like some sort of publicity stunt that they've said this.

"It even says on the gov.uk website, the UK is known as the most one of the most open, welcoming countries.

"And there’s literally no one here, like unless they’re hiding in an office and they haven't come out for a week, we've been walking up and down these corridors all week and there's no UK presence here at all.

"And it feels embarrassing right now because people are queuing up over there and going to all the different countries and the UK one is just sat there just kind of just looking around like how are we supposed to how is this pulled this off?"

Read more: Met to appeal High Court ruling that it breached Sarah Everard vigil organisers' rights

Read more: 'I can't solve every problem' Rishi Sunak warns as calls mount to scrap fuel duty

Matt Hancock defends Home Office over Ukraine visas

Whilst some refugees spend hours combing over paperwork to entre the UK, other are now heading back to help fight for their country.

More than 3 million people have escaped Ukraine since Russian troops began their bombardment, but after seeing desperate scenes from their country, some citizens are making the dangerous decision to return home.

Today LBC spoke with Alyssa as she queued to board a train heading from Poland to Lviv.

Explaining why she was about to embark on the perilous journey, she said: "So two weeks ago I moved to Poland and I thought I am not needed here but I am still needed in Ukraine.

"I want to go back because I want to work I want to help our soldiers, I want to make our children sleep well without hearing bombs again."

She ended the interview with a desperate plea, asking the West to "please help us close the sky".

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

US and Russian officials have begun Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Cracks have meanwhile appeared in Keir Starmer's peacekeeping plan.

US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia as Starmer faces Europe backlash over Ukraine peacekeeping plans

A drone view of Everton's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock during an Everton under-18 friendly match test event.

Everton's new stadium makes it's grand debut after £800million and four years

Job Centre Plus, London Road, Twickenham, Greater London, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom UK, Europe

UK wages see unexpected rise as unemployment rate holds steady at 4.4 per cent

Placebo band leader Brian Molko has been charged with defamation for calling the Italian PM a fascist and a Nazi during a gig.

British rock star Brian Molko charged after 'calling Italian PM a piece of s*** fascist and a Nazi' during gig

Exclusive
Short sentences and recall periods are keeping offenders in a longer cycle of going to jail, LBC has heard.

'It sent me back to square one': Short sentences create endless cycle of jail time, inmates tell LBC

Shocking footage shows passenger's 'lucky escape' after Delta jet crashes and 'flips' at Toronto airport leaving 18 injured

Shocking footage shows passenger's 'lucky escape' after Delta jet crashes and 'flips' at Toronto airport with 18 injured

Cracks over Starmer’s 'premature' peacekeeping plan as Europe left ‘irritated’ following crisis summit

Cracks over Starmer’s 'premature' peacekeeping plan as Europe left ‘irritated’ following crisis summit

The woman was attacked by a shark

Family of woman whose hands were bitten off by shark reveal 'nightmare' after husband fought off '7ft' predator

Renée Zellweger

Mad about the Box Office: Latest Bridget Jones installment smashes rom com record

Exclusive
David Gauke wants to reduce the size of the female prison estate to make room for more male inmates. File image shows Pentonville prison

Send fewer women to jail to make room for male inmates, says former Justice Secretary

x

Starmer will ensure UK is 'leading country' as European nations step up in support of Ukraine

Gunner Beck

Women in Army subjected to 'disgusting' comments from male colleagues amid misogynistic culture, inquest hears

The aircraft can be seen upside down, with its wheels in the air, and the area thick with snow

Passenger jet 'flips over' during landing in Toronto leaving 15 injured - with three critical

Paula Miluska had started working from home in November 2022 due to her pregnancy illness

Woman awarded £93k payout after boss fires her for morning sickness by sending jazz hands emoji

c

Britain must take a ‘leading responsibility’ for peace in Ukraine, says PM as he calls for US ‘security guarantee’

Andrew Tate is facing allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering

Trump team 'pressuring Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate'