Ukraine war: Dean of St Edmundsbury criticises Home Office refugee response

The dean said people wanted to do "something practical" to help

A cathedral dean has said the Home Office "needs to get its act together" to help Ukrainian refugees.

The Very Reverend Joe Hawes led an evening of solidarity at the cathedral in Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday with hundreds of people lighting candles.

He said: "This country appears to be putting barriers and difficulties in the way of these genuine refugees."

The Home Office said it was taking urgent action to process visas at speed.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced Ukrainian refugees with passports will be able to apply for UK visas online from Tuesday.

The Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury, said more needed to be done to allow refugees from Ukraine to enter the UK

Ukraine continues to be hit by Russian shelling and more than two million people have now fled the country.

Dean Hawes said people felt "rage" about the invasion.

"Out of ridiculous territorial dreams and made-up anxieties this has happened to the innocent people of Ukraine," he said.

"One cannot help but feel rage, the rage that I'm feeling."

He added: "The Home Office needs to get its act together and move and change swiftly to make it possible for the hundreds and thousands of people who we need to welcome [to come to the UK] quickly and easily."

A spokesman for the Home Office said the UK stood "shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Ukraine", and it was taking urgent action to process visas at speed with extra staff deployed to help people through the process.

Blue and yellow, the Ukrainian flag colours, featured throughout the evening

A collection to raise funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal for Ukraine was held as part of the vigil.

Dean Hawes said there was "a sense of bewilderment that war is again on European soil".

He said people wanted to "do something practical to help and that's what [the] vigil is about".

"It gives people a chance to stand in solidarity."

War in Ukraine: More coverage

• LIVE: Latest updates from on the ground

• OCCUPIED CITY: 'We are not co-operating'

• RUSSIA MOTHERS: 'How do I get my soldier son back?'

• EXPLAINED: Why Putin has invaded Ukraine?

• IN DEPTH: Full coverage of the conflict

The service was described as a "deliberate act of solidarity"

The cathedral at Bury St Edmunds was lit up in the Ukrainian colours of blue and yellow

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