Sadiq Khan urges government to provide safe routes for Ukrainians seeking sanctuary in UK

London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the UK government this morning for not waiving visa restrictions for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian conflict.

In a Tweet, Mr Khan stated: “Let’s be absolutely clear: Ukrainian civilians looking for refuge should not be filling out complicated visa applications when they are fleeing a war zone”.

He added: “London has a long history of giving asylum to those in need. The government must urgently provide safe routes for sanctuary”.

Yesterday, Labour leader Keir Starmer took a similar line. Sir Keir said: “The Government has got this one wrong. They are applying the same rules as they had before”. He added: “We must help Ukrainian people looking for safety. That is what we have always done as a country in a moment like this”.

Whitehall have said that a resettlement programme is being worked on, but details have not been announced.