Ukraine refugees: Patel apologises for UK visa delays

Home Secretary Priti Patel has apologised "with frustration" for visa delays that have prevented thousands of Ukrainian refugees entering the UK.

Only a quarter of the Ukrainians granted visas, 12,000, have reached the UK, Ms Patel told BBC News.

Would-be sponsors of refugees have criticised bureaucracy and delay in the Homes For Ukraine scheme.

Home Office figures published on Friday show the government has granted 40,900 visas to Ukrainians fleeing the war.

In terms of arrivals into the UK:

"Completely, it's been frustrating. I apologise with frustration myself," said Ms Patel.

"I'll be very candid, it has taken time. Any new scheme takes time, any new visa system takes time."

Ms Patel is the second government minister to apologise for the delays this week, following the refugees minister Lord Harrington, who told parliament that "not enough" visas had been issued.

Britain's numbers are lower than those accepted in comparable European countries.

The German government said earlier this week it had accepted 300,000 Ukrainians, while 20,000 have arrived in Ireland.

"Germany is an EU country," said Ms Patel. "They don't have visa checks, their borders are open.

"It's not like for like. We are an independent third country, and we want to give people the status and security of coming to our country, along with the warm welcome."

Fruit farmer Chris Tattersall, from Torrington in Devon, is waiting for visas to be approved for a refugee family he is sponsoring.

Mr Tattersall and his wife Anne said they had a long wait after submitting visa applications for a woman they had contacted named Elena, her elderly parents and young daughter.

The family, who are waiting in Poland, were told that the application had been accepted six days later.

"I've been worrying that six days for them is like six years," Mr Tattersall said.

"I don't know why the government wants to slow it down. There are people who are desperate. There's families sleeping on park benches, in freezing temperatures in Poland.

"Why, when they could be on a train for free across Europe and come here?"

Ms Patel stressed the importance of security checks, while saying they were not causing delays to the system.

"I see security and intelligence, not just advice, but reports every single day. I know what is going on in the world. I know what is going on in the region. I know what Russia is capable of," said Ms Patel.