A Ukrainian refugee trying to flee to Fife was asked to provide a current bank statement – but her bank had been destroyed by a ballistic missile.
Terrified Olga Biletska left Kharkiv as the city was subjected to constant shelling and aerial bombardment last month.
The 72-year-old arrived at the Polish border with just the clothes on her back, a passport and a 500ml bottle of water.
And with the help of volunteers, she made her way to Krakow to meet daughter Natalia, who had travelled from her home in Guardbridge.
There, she had her first meal in three days.
However, the pair then faced a lengthy and complicated process to allow Olga to complete her journey to north east Fife.
And it was another three weeks before the UK Government approved her visa application.
Natalia, who works at St Andrews University, said the form was 15 pages long and full of “inappropriate and irrelevant” questions.
And there was no way her mother could have provided the bank statement requested by UK officials.
Visa application took hours to complete
Natalia added: “As soon as my mother started her journey, I filled out the application form for her UK visa, under the new Ukraine Family Scheme.
“This took me a few hours to complete, and I kept wondering about the appropriateness and relevance of some of the questions.
“For example, the application checklist asked for a current bank statement, and for evidence of close family members remaining in Ukraine.
“My mother’s bank in Kharkiv was physically destroyed by a ballistic missile, so it won’t be issuing any bank statements to its clients for a while.
“As for family members, most refugees would have none remaining in Ukraine, so there can be no evidence.”
Natalia and Olga stayed in a hotel in Krakow as they negotiated the process.
And they became frustrated by a lack of communication from the Home Office.
Even once the application was approved, staff from an MP’s office had to intervene before the paperwork was handed over five days later.
The current crisis has really laid their faults raw and bare.”
Natalia Biletska.
Natalia said: “What really infuriates me about this whole situation is not the wait in itself, and not even the significant financial cost, but a total lack of communication and accountability.
“UKVI (United Kingdom Visa Immigration) provided no way to contact them except for the Ukraine Family Scheme helpline number, which is unable to advise on individual cases.
“This has been the mode of operation for UKVI and the Home Office for as long as I can remember, but the current crisis has really laid their faults raw and bare.”
Father is still in Ukraine but country is being destroyed
Olga is finally settled in Guardbridge with Natalia, her partner and their six-year-old daughter.
But her husband Mykola is still in Ukraine and Natalia, who has lived in Scotland for 22 years, has just gone through the visa application process again for him.
And while it is now simpler, issues remain.
“He has his visa but leaving is difficult,” she said.
“He says he’ll stay there for a bit to see if things quieten down.
“The country is just being destroyed. He’s lucky to have a house that is still intact but he’s in the minority.”
Natalia applied on her father’s behalf on March 29 and it was approved on April 5.
“The Home Office has made significant changes to the application form,” said Natalia.
“It was much simpler and didn’t have irrelevant or inappropriate questions.
“It took me less than an hour to complete.
“But still, the issue of communication and tracking applications has not been solved.”
‘Government must change its approach’
North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain raised the case in the House of Commons.
She said Natalia’s experience highlights the UK Government’s failure to adequately help refugees.
“In recent days we have seen more evidence of the horror those people are trying to escape,” she said.
“Refugees from Ukraine should have been allowed to come to the UK without a visa.
“Instead Natalia’s mother and others like her had to wait far too long before being allowed into the UK.”
She added: “It is particularly concerning that seemingly even after her application was approved it was only a week later, at the intervention of my staff, that the UKVI handed over the necessary documents.
“People across the UK have shown their generosity by offering to host Ukrainian refugees and fund-raising for relief efforts.
“The UK Government has not shown the same compassion. They must quickly change their approach and learn from these mistakes.”
UK Government visa requirements
EU countries are allowing Ukrainian refugees in for up to three years without a visa.
But the UK Government has so far refused to bow to pressure to lift its visa requirements.
Prime Minister Boris Johnston defended the process and said: “People want us to be generous but also careful.”
And Home Secretary Priti Patel said security and biometric checks were “vital to keep British citizens safe”.
