Good morning. Although some aspects of the government’s response to the war in Ukraine have been generally praised, there have been harsh criticism, including the Tories, about attitudes towards refugees from the struggle to seek asylum in Britain. And last night it came to light that among the people disappointed by the policy adopted by Priti Patel, Home Secretary, is… Patel himself. He told Harry Cole from The Sun:
in response to frustration I saw with my own eyes on the Polish border Two days ago, I am expanding my immediate response to the growing humanitarian crisis.
I am now investigating legal options for creating a humanitarian route.
This means anyone with no ties to the UK is fleeing conflict in ukraine You will have the right to come to this country.
cole says in his report that Patel is talking about the possibility of establishing a new route for Ukrainians wishing to come to the UK – apart from ukraine family plan, Which was extended last week, and the local sponsorship plan for Ukraine, details of which are yet to be announced.
Although Patel shared his thinking with The Sun, it does not appear to have been communicated to others in the government, and this has led to some confusion as to what exactly is being planned. These are from the BBC’s chief political correspondent, Adam Fleming, today morning.
Adam Fleming
(@adamflaming)Seems like @pretiptel comments to @Sun The previously announced route is about where Ukrainians can be sponsored by individuals, communities and organizations to come to the UK and is not an open door to all.
Adam Fleming
(@adamflaming)The updated Home Office is considering a new, third route for Ukrainian refugees. But it seems he did not specify that there are other senior figures in the Foreign Office government. https://t.co/dZdgm2FYBQ
And this is from the BBC’s Home Affairs editor, Mark Easton.
mark easton
(@BBCMarkeaston)What did Priti Patel mean when she told @Sun “I am urgently extending my response to the creation of a humanitarian route for refugees from Ukraine”? @Downing Street insists that nothing has changed but @ukhomeoffice Work is being done on the new route of IS. #confusion
James Clever, Minister of Foreign Office, is giving interviews this morning, and he has been unable to shed much light on what is happening. He told the Today program this morning that The two existing routes “stay the same”,
But he also emphasized that there were “neither goals nor limits” to the number of Ukrainians to be recruited. Last week the government said its two routes could allow an additional 200,000 into the country.
will hear from us boris johnson Later, so maybe Number 10 would have clarified a line by then.
Here is the agenda for the day.
morning: Boris Johnson visits an RAF base with his Canadian and Dutch counterparts, Justin Trudeau and Mark Root.
11.30 am: The lobby briefing takes place in Downing Street.
1.05 pm: Natasha de Terran, former head of corporate affairs at SWIFT, and other financial experts give evidence on sanctions to the Commons Treasury Committee Russia,
at 2 pm: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gives evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Commons.
After 3.30 pm: MPs begin debate on Economic Offenses Bill. The second reading debate can go on for four hours, and after that MPs will debate the amendment and finish the remaining phases of the bill.
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