Ukraine: Visa delays halt farmer's plan to bring back former employees

Anna Kovalchuk is trying to bring a former colleague and her children to the UK

The owners of a farm say their attempts to bring a former worker and her children to the UK from Ukraine are being held up by visa delays.

J. L. Baxter and Son near Maidstone, Kent, employed 30 Ukrainian fruit pickers last year, and 10 were planning to return this summer.

Inna Hrusha and her seven children are currently trying to get visas from UK officials in Poland.

The Home Office said it was doing all it can to simplify the visa process.

Farm manager Anna Kovalchuk said: "She's with her kids in a queue now trying to get into the visa centre, because otherwise the centre's going to be closed and it's another day gone.

"It's been one week now. We've tried to contact every single place we can contact and nothing's happening."

Ms Kovalchuk is in contact with Inna and her children by phone

Yuriy Zhobtyuk, who lives in Greenhithe, Kent, is trying to bring his 82 year-old father, his sister-in-law and her daughter to the UK.

They are currently in a hotel in Prague.

They applied for visas at the UK embassy in the Czech capital on 15 March, but only received an email on Wednesday, telling them their application was being considered.

Mr Zhobtyuk said: "My dad is worried they're going to run out of money, they can't go back to Ukraine, they don't know when they'll get visas, or will they get visas.

"It's good intentions, what was put in place, but it's just not working. We keep hearing on the news Ukrainians will be able to come to England to join their families, but in reality this doesn't happen."

A Home Office spokesman said: "We have streamlined the visa application process so passport holders no longer need to attend in-person appointments before arriving, and made changes to the forms in order to help people through the process as quickly as possible."

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