Ukraine: Tim Loughton says refugees should be processed in UK

Tim Loughton said Ukrainian refugees should be brought to the UK for processing

A Sussex MP has urged the Home Office to bring Ukrainian refugees to the UK for processing.

East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton was speaking during a Home Affairs Committee hearing on the government's treatment of refugees from the conflict with Russia.

He was speaking after some were turned away at Calais because of incorrect paperwork.

The Home Office said it's taken "urgent action" to process visas quickly.

Mr Loughton said the refugees should be "put on that plane and brought to the UK".

While hearing evidence from Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, Mr Loughton said: "We can argue about what degree of processing is needed, but for goodness sake, let's get them out of a place of fairly chaotic state in Poland, get them to somewhere safe and then get them into a safe home as soon as possible."

"There's no reason that can't be done here, if for some reason it can't be done on the border of Ukraine."

In reply Mr Solomon said: "The Home Secretary has the powers and has the ability to enable us to welcome Ukrainians."

The government has said it has seen people in Calais claiming to be Ukrainian but with false documents.

'Urgent action'

Another member of the select committee, Gravesham MP Adam Holloway, said: "Is it not possible to perhaps filter people at our border? Because it would be, I would have thought, a relatively small number of people there would be a security interest in."

Mr Holloway, a former soldier, visited Ukraine last week.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "We have taken urgent action to process visas at speed for all those eligible to the Ukraine family scheme, while carrying out vital security checks.

"In light of the risk from criminals actively operating in the area around Calais, we have set up a new temporary Visa Application Centre in Lille which will open tomorrow focused on referrals only for people in the area eligible for the scheme."

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