New figures released by the UK Government show that 55 Ukrainians have now arrived in the Scottish Borders through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
The figures also show that 86 visas have been issued for people fleeing the war in Ukraine to come to the Scottish Borders, meaning that some have yet to arrive in the UK.
For the first time, there are also figures showing how many people have applied to come to the Borders through the Homes for Ukraine scheme – 97.
The figures only relate to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, so it is likely that there are more Ukrainians who have come to live in the Scottish Borders through the Ukraine Family Scheme, pushing the figures higher.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows Borderers to sponsor Ukrainians to come and live in their property. By contrast, the Ukraine Family Scheme is for family members of Ukrainians who already live in the UK.
Across the UK, more than 100,000 visas have been issued so far, with 54,000 having safely arrived in the UK.
Local MP, John Lamont, has been assisting local people and Ukrainians with their applications.
John Lamont MP said:
More than 50 Ukrainians have now been given refuge here in the Scottish Borders. There are dozens more on the way. This is something we can be really proud of as an area.
I have been working closely with local people and Ukrainian families to ensure they can secure safe passage to the UK. There are some issues with bureaucracy and myself and my team have been working every day with the Home Office to iron these out and expedite cases where the people are in a vulnerable situation.
Well more than 50,000 Ukrainians have now come to the UK through these routes offered by the UK Government, with tens of thousands on their way.
The support shown to Ukraine by the UK and its citizens is second to none. From supporting refugees, to providing military weapons, and sanctioning billions of pounds of Russian assets, we are standing up against the horrific actions of Putin.”
- More information on statistics can be found here: Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
