THE UK Government’s “bureaucratic” and sluggish response to the Ukrainian refugees crisis would not be replicated in an independent Scotland, an SNP MP has vowed.
Speaking at the Global Parliamentary Conference on Migration in Istanbul, Turkey, South Perthshire MP John Nicolson slammed the Home Office’s response to the crisis.
Women and children fleeing invading Russian forces were faced with delays and red tape attempting to get to the UK, which saw the Government criticised by all parties for failing to act quickly to improve its processes.
Nicolson (above) was among around 300 international parliamentarians and political staffers in Turkey for the conference, which was held last week and organised by the the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
Pledging that an independent Scotland would try to be one of the “most progressive countries in the world” on migration, he said the UK had been shown up by the response of most other European countries.
He said: “While much of Northern Europe opened its arms and borders, the UK Government made asylum as bureaucratic as possible for Ukrainians fleeing Russia's evil war against their peaceful country.”
In his closing remarks, Nicolson added: “While much of Northern Europe opened its arms and borders, the UK Government made asylum as bureaucratic as possible for Ukrainians fleeing Russia's evil war against their peaceful country.”
He was joined by former Northern Ireland secretary Karen Bradley and Labour MP Lyn Brown.
The UK Government changed its rules on allowing unaccompanied child refugees into the country last week, following revelations more than 500 children were stuck in limbo after applying to the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has been widely criticised for failing to drop the requirement for Ukrainian refugees to obtain a visa before coming to Britain – out of step with international law and the approach seen across Europe.
As of June 21, 135,900 visas had been issued while more than five million refugees in total have been recorded in Europe. Some have since returned to the country.
It comes after Boris Johnson admitted last week Ukrainians who arrive in Britain "illegally" could be sent to Rwanda under draconian new immigration laws - despite past assurances this would not be the case.
