Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Amelia Gentleman

Using Windrush to justify UK visa rule for Ukrainian refugees baffles experts

Home secretary Priti Patel.
Home secretary Priti Patel has apologised for the time it is taking for Ukrainian refugees to arrive in the UK under visa schemes and has been accused of ‘casting around for justification.’ Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Why has Britain, unlike every other country in Europe, insisted on requiring all Ukrainian refugees to obtain visas before travelling here?

In justifying the decision, Priti Patel has again pointed to the Windrush scandal as a key factor in the government’s refusal to waive visas for people fleeing Ukraine. But it is a reasoning that has left immigration experts baffled.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.