Ukraine: Family seek refuge with Jersey relatives

More than one million people have fled Ukraine, according to the UN

Anoushka Kehoe's mother, twin sister and nephew fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion was under way. She is waiting for them to arrive in Jersey.

"They have put their entire life in a single rucksack," Mrs Kehoe said.

Anoushka is from Ukraine and lives in Jersey with her husband Glen. The couple have spent the last week helping their family find safe passage.

"We're not eating. You can't even imagine the stress we're going through," Mrs Kehoe said.

"We haven't slept for four or five days, I don't even know what day of the week it is now," Mr Kehoe added.

Anoushka hopes to be reunited with her twin sister (pictured above), mother and nephew this weekend

'They are traumatised'

Their family members left Odessa eight days ago after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They spent four days in a car and on foot to get across the border into Poland.

"We never put the phone down because we didn't know if that was the last time we'd ever get to speak to them," Mr Kehoe said.

"The scenes they have seen... they are traumatised. We just want to get them here.

"My mother-in-law is shell-shocked. She hasn't spoken. My mother-in-law, she talks a lot, I love her to bits... but we haven't spoken to her, she just sits in the background," he added.

Anoushka's sister had to walk away from her husband who stayed behind.

• What is the latest in the Ukraine conflict?

• How many people have fled Ukraine?

• What can people in the UK do to help?

Mr Kehoe has been helping his family with the paperwork to come to Jersey and said it has been exhausting.

He said he had repeatedly received incorrect information and had spent hours filling in forms that were not required. He said the UK visa form would not recognise a Jersey postcode.

Glen and Anoushka Kehoe are exhausted from the stress of helping their family reach the island

The States of Jersey previously announced that displaced Ukrainian people who have extended family on the island will have immediate access to Jersey on a temporary visa scheme.

This scheme will run for six months and will allow qualifying Ukrainians to live on the island for at least one year.

Glen Kehoe said he was pleased this was happening but he wanted the process to be improved. He said a hotline should be set up so people can access information more easily.

'These people need help'

The Government of Jersey said the immigration office had apologised to the family for the distress the process had caused them.

The Home Affairs Minister for Jersey Deputy Gregory Guida said Jersey "relies on the UK for central immigration".

He said: "We are extremely open. We really want to help. But entering Jersey is entering the Common Travel Area.

"The situation is changing so fast, visas have been extremely streamlined and should be much easier to get today than they were 24 hours ago, the regulations that remain are exclusively about security."

Earlier this week UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, responding to calls to waive all visas for Ukrainians, said security checks had to remain in place but changes to the systems were being made.

Anoushka and Glen Kehoe said there are other people coming from Ukraine with families on the island who needed support.

"These people need help. They had lives. They had jobs. Their homes are destroyed, their families. We're on the phone every day to friends trapped in basements, friends are picking up guns," he said.

Mr Kehoe said their family were still waiting for visas, and just wanted "this to end".

He said: "It's just a waiting game for them to be processed. This visa process is too slow and too cumbersome for anyone to use, I still await a revised process to make it easier for all users.

"We still hold out for them to travel this weekend if the processing times improve."

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