The UK is looking at how to relax visa rules for Ukrainian refugees. The move comes after criticism of the British government, which critics say with bureaucratic red tape is preventing refugees from being helped quickly enough.
Refugee Ukrainians are now only allowed to enter the UK with a visa. Secretary of the Interior James Heappey, who is in charge of the British armed forces, said Home Secretary Priti Patel is exploring options to give Ukrainians easier access to the country. However, according to Sky News, Patel is under pressure from other ministers.
The British news channel also reports that about 1,000 Ukrainians have been granted visas. However, it is not clear how many applications have been submitted; on Monday, there were still 17,700. This is because the government does not have enough staff to process all requests quickly.
Refugees in Poland have been told to wait two weeks for an appointment for a UK visa. At Calais, France, where ferry sails to England, Ukrainians have been instructed to fill out forms to Paris or Brussels.