Anger over hundreds of Ukrainian refugee children trapped after Home Office rule change

British asylum seekers from Ukraine say they are “ashamed” of the government’s continued failure to close the road that has kept hundreds of children out of Britain.

More than 500 Ukrainian minors are believed to be stranded across Europe following last-minute rule changes home Office This means that people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a biological parent.

The intention was to deal with people smuggling, but many had already left the battlefield and were tasked with caring for older siblings or other relatives.

The Home Office indicated a fortnight ago that it was going to address the problem, but has done nothing since.

Ukrainian refugees like Oleksandr and Natalia are fleeing scenes of destruction as

Lincolnshire’s Kevin Henley and Sandra Tilly had hoped to host 24-year-old Oleksandr Polishchuk and his 15-year-old sister Natalia, but the younger siblings could not come to Britain despite their parents’ written permission.

“The boy’s passport has now expired and he has gone alone to a battlefield in the east of Ukraine to visit his mother and try to get it renewed,” Mr Henley said.

‘Her father’s battalion is surrounded by Russians in the east and they haven’t heard from him.’

Condemning the Home Office policy, they said: ‘It is clearly safer to leave children in a war-torn country prone to rape, murder and human trafficking, rather than to live with a UK family, which has many There are DBS investigations.

Ukrainian authorities also want children to be allowed to move to the UK if they have the permission of their legal parents or guardians.

Laura Goedhuis, who sponsors 15-year-old Sasha Ivanenko and her aunt Natalia, 40, said she was told last month by her local MP that the issues of guardianship would be resolved “within a few days”.

She said: ‘We all feel incredibly disappointed by Lord Harrington, the Minister for the Home Office and Refugees. I feel that I have been lied to time and again.

A government spokesman said: ‘Due to security concerns, single minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reunited with a parent or legal guardian.’