Foster – UK’s humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis

Home affairs under-secretary Kevin Foster faced an urgent question from Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown regarding how the process of applications from Ukrainian refugees to the UK can be sped up.

Foster told the House that “over 500 visas have been issued with more being issued as we speak”. He also referred to a new “humanitarian sponsorship visa” on which the government are “working at pace”.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper criticised the conflict;citing answers regarding a visa centre in Calais. Foster told the House that a centre will be set up in Lille “in the next 24 hours”.

Conservative backbencher Sir Roger Gale told the House that the answer he received from the home secretary Priti Patel yesterday was incorrect and would necessitate a resignation “under any normal circumstances”. Labour’s Barry Sheerman urged the government to “get its act together”.