A Ukrainian mum and daughter have been blocked from a Scottish home for six weeks due to bungling Home Office staff failing to send an email.
Karyna Olshanska, 28, and her three-year-old daughter Veronika have accommodation arranged and both have valid passports.
But despite all permissions being granted on April 26, the Home Office repeatedly failed to send vital travel documents for Veronika.
The pair are living in a homeless shelter in Poland sharing with 11 other people.
The Home Office only agreed to send the vital document after the Daily Record pointed out their plight.
Karyna’s home city of Kherson has come under devastating shelling and both she and Veronika were traumatised by weeks of hiding in underground shelters.
Campaigner David Louden, who has helped home several Ukrainians in his home town of Dollar, blasted Home Secretary Priti Patel for the failures.
David said: “Lives are at stake here including that of a vulnerable child.
“I escalated this through the Home Office helpline but that was the biggest waste of time ever and only makes the situation worse as the case just drags on.
“There is a very good home for this family in Dollar but no one pushed the button to deliver one document to Veronika that has already been approved.”
He added: “Priti Patel needs to sort out their case and put in place safeguards to stop other families going through the same nightmare.” Karyna fled Kherson, driving her car through lines of advancing Russian soldiers, terrified she may be imprisoned or worse.
She said: “We have no relatives in Europe, so we did not know where to go.
“I drove through Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and ended up in Poland.
“When we were given the hope of coming to Scotland we were so happy because I believe we can have a good life there.”
A UK Government spokesman admitted that a permission to travel letter should have been sent in April, adding: “We are looking into why the applicant did not receive this and have resent it again to them today.”
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