The British government on Sunday extended its visa scheme for war-affected Ukrainians seeking refuge in the country in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, allowing an additional 18 months of stay on their current terms.
The Home Office said that from early 2025, anyone in Britain who falls under one of the Ukrainian visa schemes can apply to stay here for a further 18 months and continue to have the same rights to access work, benefits, healthcare and healthcare. education throughout their stay.
This means that those who received the first visas under one of the Ukraine visa schemes can now stay in Britain until September 2026.
This new visa extension scheme provides certainty and reassurance for Ukrainians in Britain about their future as this war continues, and we will continue to provide a safe haven for those fleeing the conflict, said Tom Pursglove, the UK Secretary of State for Legal Migration and the Border.
Nearly two years after the start of this brutal war, more than 200,000 Ukrainians and their relatives have arrived in Britain. Families across the country have opened their homes and their hearts to the people of Ukraine, showing extraordinary generosity, including providing shelter to people fleeing the horrors of war, he said.
He said the move shows that Britain and its allies stand in solidarity with Ukraine and unequivocally condemn Putin’s unprovoked, premeditated and illegal war against Ukraine.
In the wake of the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, Britain announced three schemes: Homes for Ukraine, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme, to give visa holders three years of leave to stay in the country to stay. The first visas would expire in March 2025.
The Ministry of Interior said the 18-month extension is a continuation of the government’s long-term commitment to Ukraine and comes as the world approaches two years since Ukraine’s despicable large-scale invasion of the world.
I would like to pay tribute to the extraordinary generosity of sponsors across the country. The government continues to provide them with thank you payments in recognition of their support. As more families arrive, we will need more sponsors. I encourage anyone interested in hosting to check their eligibility and apply as soon as possible, said the UK Secretary of State for Housing and Communities, Felicity Buchan.
Since the launch of the Ukrainian programs, Britain says it has provided or extended shelter to more than 283,000 Ukrainians.
We appreciate all the help and assistance that our British friends are so generously providing to the temporarily displaced Ukrainians, said Eduard Fesko, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Ukraine in Great Britain.
Under the extension, Ukrainians can submit their application within the last three months of an existing visa. While the Ukrainian Family Scheme allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK, the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine Extension Scheme allows Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members to apply for permission to reside in Britain.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: February 18, 2024 | 5:47 PM IST