THE HOME Office has been accused of mounting a 'chaotic' response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis after Priti Patel was contradicted by a Downing Street spokesperson as to the scheme she says she has put in place.

Currently Ukrainians who have family in the UK can apply to come for three years through the Family scheme, while another sponsorship scheme has been announced but is not yet operational.

Ms Patel was quoted as saying: “In response to the desperation I saw with my own eyes at the Polish border two days ago, I’m urgently escalating our response to the growing humanitarian crisis.

“I am now investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian route.
“This means anyone without ties to the UK fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will have a right to come to this nation.”

But later a Downing Street spokesman told reporters this was the “sponsorship route that we set out last week."

The Home Office could not confirm if it was drawing up additional measures for Ukrainians to come to the UK.

There has also been a row over the situation at Calais, after reports that some Ukrainians were turned away at the UK border. BBC news showed three staff hidden in an empty warehouse supposedly 'processing' visas from a small handful of Ukranian refugees.

However Ms Patel insisted there are British officials in Calais, and said a visa centre “en route” to Calais had been set up by the UK Government.

Moments later she then told MPs that it had not yet been set up and it was not ready to operate.

This chaotic shambles is the UK government's response to helping refugees fleeing from war-torn Ukraine and a worsening humanitarian crisis by the day. In the Ukraine millions of people are having to leave their homes, their boys and men aged 18 to 60 (who are of fighting age) and all their belongings behind. As UK citizens we cannot stand by and watch this situation worsen without helping them. The staff and the will to help Ukrainian refugees by providing a quick and easy way to enter the UK must be provided now. In the UK we are known for our humanity and compassion. This could be us - our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, families. Let's show this humanity by sending a strong message to the UK government now to open up to these desperate, innocent refugees of this war by Russia.