Harborough Couple Left Frustrated Over Homes For Ukraine Scheme

A Market Harborough couple hoping to host refugees from Ukraine have expressed frustration at how long it is taking to process their case.

Peter Rivers and his wife signed up to the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme last month in a bid to help people fleeing the war.

They were matched with a mother and daughter who fled the fighting and are currently staying in Germany, but they have still not been granted permission by the Home Office to travel to the UK.

Peter’s home has been approved to accommodate the refugees and he spoke to Hfm’s Nick Shaw about how frustrating the current situation is:

A government spokesperson told Hfm: “In response to Putin’s barbaric invasion we have launched one of the fastest and biggest visa schemes in UK history. In just five weeks, over 56,000 visas have been issued so people can rebuild their lives in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine.

“Our Ukraine Schemes have reached a turning point, thanks to the changes we’ve made to the streamline the visa system, including simplifying the forms, and boosting staff. Around 3,500 applications have been processed a day in the last few days, enabling thousands more Ukrainians to come through our uncapped routes.”

The Rivers family home has been approved to welcome the refugees.