Contributions
2,176 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Refugees from UkraineMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. As I said in my statement, our No. 1 priority is to keep our country safe, while streamlining processes where we can. We will continue to do…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThe hon. Lady makes an important point. It is important to restate that about 90% of Ukrainian nationals do not have chip passports, for example, whereby the digital scheme would…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThe answer is yes.10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineMy hon. Friend makes an important point. We have surged our visa application centre capacity across the region. There are sites in France, with work in Calais and in Lille, and we…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThis is the theme that we hear constantly throughout the community—a recognition that, of course, people will want to go home. It is their country; it is the place of their birth;…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineIf I may, I will come back to my right hon. Friend and discuss that with him, because there will be ways.10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: the sponsorship route is led by DLUHC. As we discussed in the House last week, accommodation will be a vital part of sponsorship, as will…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThis is a very important point. I have had similar discussions with the Ukrainian community across the country. As I may have mentioned previously in the House, there are a number…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineAs I said earlier, we are looking at all categories, including Ukrainians on work visas and even student visas, and how we can make that happen.10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineSorry, but our systems have been working and they are working. I cannot comment on the hon. Lady’s particular case or the generalities she has spoken about, but, as I have said, I…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThe simplifications are to the family scheme. It is the same scheme, but we are simplifying and digitalising the process. I cannot pre-empt the humanitarian scheme, which is being…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineMy hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that has been verified through the agencies and Departments we work with.10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineMy hon. Friend is absolutely right in everything he has said—there is no question whatsoever about that. The Ukrainian community across the United Kingdom has been extraordinary…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineI give my thanks to the centre for everything that it has been doing. It was very humbling to spend so much time with the people there on Sunday. I was able to understand from…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineIf the hon. Lady had listened to my statement earlier on, she would have heard what the process is. In fact, the application can be done digitally from Tuesday. If she would like…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineThat is absolutely correct.10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineI thank my hon. Friend for his comments and his acknowledgement of the difficult work. As a country, our priority is of course absolutely to bring people over from Ukraine at…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is fair to say that he will be too familiar with the various processes around immigration checks, digitalisation and security, and the…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineI acknowledge the hon. Gentlemen’s comments. It is important that, as a country and in this House in particular, we unite against Putin and what he is doing. We must never lose…10 Mar 2022HANSARD Refugees from UkraineI have always made it abundantly clear in the House that our approach is always under review —it is under review for a range of issues, for example, as the situation changes or…10 Mar 2022