THE Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has expressed concern over reports of “chaos and confusion” facing refugees trying to apply for a British visa to escape the devastating impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This has added to the outcry against the situation from politicians, members of the media and people taking aid to the refugees in Europe – including earlier this week Darren Tait, of Darren’s Taxis, in St Ann’s Chapel, whose convoy of vehicles full of generous donations from people in the South West arrived on Poland’s border with Ukraine yesterday (Wednesday).

He made a video message, posted on Facebook, calling on people to write to their MPs asking for the process of allowing Ukrainian refugees to join their relatives in Britain, or to find shelter with those willing to offer rooms to accommodate them in the UK, to be speeded up. You can read more about Darren’s mission and impressions of the crisis in this week’s Cornish Times.

Meanwhile UK MPs have told the media they are hearing stories from their constituents that relatives are being turned away from visa centres in Poland, centres are closed in Brussels, and the only available appointments are weeks from now.

There have also been reports about lack of clear information over where visa processing centres are located, personal details being lost and visa applications being delayed. TV reports last night showed a 90-year-old woman and her 70-year-old daughter, who want to join relatives living in the UK, having to queue in the cold outside a UK visa office in Eastern Poland. At the same office refugees were being given a date for a via appointment in more than a week’s time.

Spokesman Andy Watt said: “These reports echo the failings the Ombudsman sees in complaints we receive about the Home Office - processing delays, poor communication, inadequate signposting, and loss of personal information.

“We support calls from MPs across the political spectrum for the Home Office to take immediate action so that those in desperate need get their cases dealt with swiftly. We recommend they do this by:

o removing unnecessary delays and bureaucracy in the visa application process

o improving the resourcing, efficiency, and transparency of the process.”

Ombudsman CEO Rob Behrens said: “Millions of refugees from Ukraine have faced long and harrowing journeys to get to places of safety in Poland, Belgium, France and other countries. They want to be safe and reunited with their family members in the UK as soon as possible.

“It is vital the Home Office acts to correct failings in its handling of visa applications, especially failings we have previously reported and which we are seeing repeated here. In this horrendous situation swift action is needed to make sure the process of getting a visa is simple, accessible and quick. Lives depend on it.”