Cheshire: Family frustrated at application process to support Ukrainians

“It shouldn’t be so hard to help people in need,” said Charlotte Cooke who applied for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme on March 20.

Charlotte and her partner Calvin, from Sandymoor, decided they wanted to support a Ukrainian family and virtually met Yuliia, a 26-year-old mother, through an online database on March 19.

Yuliia had originally wanted to stay with her family in Ukraine but they encouraged her to leave the country to give her little girl a future.

The two families had a video call the following day as Yuliia and her seven-year-old daughter Alisa were on an evacuation train travelling from Kramatorsk to Lviv to Warsaw in Poland.

Yuliia and her daughter Alisa

They decided the duo would be a good fit as Charlotte has a six-year-old daughter herself – so they applied for the scheme on that same day.

As Yuliia has a Ukrainian passport and Alisa has just a birth certificate, this meant that under the scheme they needed to get visas to travel.

Subsequently, the pair went to a visa application centre (VAC) on March 23 in Warsaw to get their biometrics taken and they were informed that it would take five working days for their visas to come through.

However, both families heard nothing so Charlotte decided to chase this up with her MP, Mike Amesbury.

Although Mr Amesbury’s colleagues were helpful and supportive and spoke with the Home Office hub at Westminster, the application has still not progressed.

In what has now been 38 days, Charlotte, 45, has received various emails saying that permission to travel would be given in 24-48 hours but nothing has ever progressed past these emails.

Each time is a ‘little light’ for the families but then they receive another email saying the information is wrong.

Yuliia and Alisa

Meanwhile, Yuliia and Alisa have been living out of a ‘tiny’ rucksack and ran out of money months ago.

They have been staying on somebody’s couch in Warsaw throughout this period and have not seen their family back in Ukraine for more than five weeks.

Talking about the delayed application experience, Charlotte said: “It is so distressing for this family. They are so upset and distraught.

“I can’t imagine being 26 and being in that situation.

“I just couldn’t even imagine being on my own – but then having to be brave for my little girl as well. I just can’t even imagine what they are going through.

“I am just so worried with all the stories of people trafficking for such a young lady and her little girl.

“Yuliia said if she’d have known how long it would have taken she would have settled in Poland and got Alisa in school there as she had already missed out on so much and all of the false hopes they keep getting is extremely difficult for us all.”

Charlotte and her family live in Sandymoor

When Alisa eventually arrives in Sandymoor, there are already plans in place to help her integrate – including a place at Warrington gymnastics, DLDA Dance Academy and 3 Bears Cookery Club.

Each day, Charlotte emails around 10 different email addresses and he says it is ‘extremely’ rare that she receives an update.

“It is soul-destroying and completely taking over my life at the minute trying to get them here. It shouldn’t be so hard to help people in need,” she added.

The mum-of-two believes many of the applications made in the first week of the scheme are still outstanding while more recent ones have been processed.

Charlotte's daughter Olivia painted eggs for Ukraine over Easter

Charlotte is in a local WhatsApp group and Stockton Heath residents who applied to help a Ukrainian family under the scheme on April 13 have already had their visas approved.

Charlotte said: “I think that all of the outstanding applications from the first week should be processed and any new applications should be put on hold while the backlog is prioritised.”

In the meantime, while the two families wait for an update Charlotte will continue to chase the applications daily.

She is also considering flying to Warsaw on Saturday to meet the mother and daughter and tell them they are still fighting for them.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury said: “I have raised this and many more desperate cases with the Home Secretary and the Minister for Refugees, Lord Harrington.

“The fundamental issue is the bureaucracy associated with the visa process which is quite unique to the UK. It is not fit for the purpose of women, children and elderly relatives literally fleeing for their lives. In many cases, their homes have been bombed and destroyed.

“The welfare and sanctuary of refugees must be met with an urgent response, one sadly lacking despite warm words from this government. The generosity of the public needs to be matched by a generous response from ministers.”

In response to this case, A government spokesperson said: “Thanks to the generosity of the public who have offered their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the war and through the Ukraine Family Scheme, more than 71,800 visas have been granted with 21,600 Ukrainians arriving safely in the UK.

“The Home Office is now processing thousands of visas a day – this shows the changes made to streamline the service are working and we’ll continue to build on this success so we can speed up the process even further.”