Former Cabinet Minister Robert Jenrick Became the first MP to accept Ukrainian refugee families under the new government scheme, but criticized the “bureaucracy” involved.

Conservative former housing secretary, Lost government role in last fall remodelingWelcoming 40-year-old Maria and her two children at Stansted Airport earlier this week.

Environment Minister Victoria Prentice accepted a 25-year-old Ukrainian refugee two weeks ago, but under an existing visa protocol rather than a newly established home. Ukraine Schematic.

The sponsorship program was established last month in a dispute over the government’s initial policy towards Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. This is currently the 7th week.

This system allows British people to sponsor Ukrainian individuals or families, including those who have no family relationship with the UK, and to live at home for at least 6 months.

But it faces fierce criticism, with refugee minister Richard Harrington earlier this month. Recognized during a live radio interview It was “embarrassing” that “it took a long time” to implement the plan.

According to the latest figures, 16,400 people arrived in the UK with all visa schemes, but only 3,200 people under the Homes for Ukraine program, allowing less than half (45.1 percent) of visa applications made under this program. ..

Speak in The Daily TelegraphChopper’s political podcast, Jenrick, said: “The process is overly bureaucratic and I think the Home Office often falls into this trap.

“There was something simple that I could have done from the beginning, for example, creating a form in Ukrainian.

“And I don’t know if we need to check for minors who are very unlikely to pose a threat to this country.”

Jenrik, who lives with his wife and three daughters, also described the experience as “very emotional” when Maria arrived in the UK with her two children, Christina (11) and Bowden (15). I explained.

He added: “It was a very difficult experience for them. Even the experience of coming here was traumatic.

“They queued for seven hours at the Polish border before they could finally leave Ukraine. [and] Flying to the UK, and what they have experienced in different parts of the country over the past few months, and what their relatives have experienced, is truly disastrous. “

Regarding the process itself, he states: It took too long to get a visa. For us, it took about three weeks for all three visas to be approved.

“So there are people who are frustrated. We tested the patience of our sponsors and, more importantly, the patience of our families and individuals themselves.

“But I’ve been involved in several schemes that aren’t different in the past, such as the Hong Kong scheme, the Syrian scheme, the Afghanistan scheme … as minister, as a community secretary-I know that. But I think we’re overcoming those bumps. We’re overcoming them now. “

Transport Minister Grant Shapps has previously revealed that he is discussing accepting a family of three under the same plan.

But Two weeks ago he said he was still struggling To take a three-generation family group from Kyiv to the UK, “I just want to take my family here, you know, and they are safe and live with us. I feel. “

Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable people. During the 2015 war in Syria, we first launched a refugee welcome campaign. We are currently updating the campaign and will start this petition in the wake of the Ukrainian deployment. In the event of a crisis, we are calling on the government to move faster to ensure that assistance is provided. For more information on the refugee welcome campaign, click here..To sign a petition click here..If you would like to donate, please click here For GoFundMe pages.