A Ukrainian MP says Home Secretary Priti Patel personally promised her visas for refugees in three days - and she is still waiting three weeks later.
Lesia Vasylenko, 35, who took up arms to fight the Russians, is trying to get 30 families who fled to Poland or are still stranded in western Ukraine into Britain where new homes are waiting for them.
But in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror she said: “Only one family has received visas so far. I feel let down by the lack of coordination.
“If you give such a time frame then you must have the resources to deliver. But it’s not working.
“The generosity of the British people is huge. Host families have been brilliant and text every day.
“But the bureaucracy is getting in the way of their big hearted willingness to help.
“People are now opting to go to other countries because it is faster.
“There are cases of children getting visas while their parents do not. They should be processed together.
“The joke in Ukraine is that by the time the UK has done all the checks and balances the war will be over.”
Ms Vasylenko is an MP for Ukraine’s opposition Holos party. She visited Britain last month with a delegation of three other Ukrainian MPs - Alona Shkrum, Olena Khomenk and Maria Mezentseva.
They met Ms Patel along with PM Boris Johnson, Housing Secretary Michael Gove and other ministers.
Ms Vasylenko says both the Home Office and Mr Gove have a full list of the 30 families.
Only 1,200 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Britain under the Homes for Ukraine scheme but another 10,800 have made it here to join family. The Home Office says of 79,800 visas applied for 40,900 have been granted.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “It is appalling that such a tiny number of refugees have been allowed into the UK. Priti Patel is putting paperwork before people.”
But a Home Office spokesperson said: “We have launched one of the fastest and biggest visa schemes in UK history.
“We are continuing to speed up visa processing across both schemes, including boosting caseworkers and simplifying the forms.”
Ms Vasylenko has been working with former Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley to get the BBC ’s world services to broadcast an international child helpline number for missing children. But the BBC has refused.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As an international broadcaster, we don’t currently broadcast this helpline on the BBC, but BBC News Ukraine regularly covers news stories and interviews with people providing help and assistance in the country and beyond.”
Of the 7.5 million children in Ukraine at the beginning of the war, 2.5 million are now displaced inside the country while another two million are overseas.
Ms Bradley said: “That gives traffickers the opportunity to exploit them. Unicef say they don’t know where many of these children are or who they are with.
“The need for this helpline and their trained professionals is so immediate.”
Ms Vasylenko added: “My major concern for children remaining in Ukraine is that they will become victims of the Russian soldier’s barbarity.
“They will torture and kill them in the same way as they do with adults.”
Traffickers are demanding up to £73,000 to lead them to safety.
Ms Vasylenko said: “And when they can’t pay the traffickers demand other sorts of payment by turning children and their mothers into sex slaves.”
That is why organising safe passage out of Ukraine is so important. And that can only be done with the protection of international peacekeepers.
And the MP says that could be organised with troops from NATO nations such as the UK under UN flag without risking World War III with Russia.
Sunday Mirror readers have now raised £70,000 to help get Ukrainian orphans to safety. To donate to our appeal backed by Labour leader Keir Starmer go to www.hopeandhomes.org or text HOPE 5, HOPE 10, HOPE 15 or HOPE 20 to 70300 to donate £5, £10, £15 or £20 to Hope and Homes for Children.
- Child helpline International can be reached on 116 111.
