Refugees: Ukraine

(asked on 16th October 2023) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing (a) visa extensions and (b) settlement routes for Ukrainian nationals who reach the end of the temporary leave granted through schemes established following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.


Answered by
Robert Jenrick Portrait
Robert Jenrick
This question was answered on 20th October 2023

In line with the situation in Ukraine, working closely with the Ukrainian Government, as well as our international counterparts, we keep the need for a possible extension of UK sanctuary, beyond March 2025, under consistent review.

The UK Government stands with Ukraine and firmly believe that Ukraine will be safe again. When it’s safe to do so, Ukraine will need the repatriation of its citizens to help recover and rebuild their economy and infrastructure. Our approach therefore has been to provide 36 months sanctuary under our Ukraine visas, which are temporary and do not lead to settlement. This 36 month period is longer than any other European scheme.

We are however also mindful that permission will start to expire, for the first arrivals under our Ukrainian schemes, from March 2025, and their need for certainty beyond that point to help them to plan ahead, for example if remaining in the UK, entering into rental agreements and living here independently. The scheme is actively under review across government.

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