Exclusive: Olga Kolisnyk was told by UK visa officials her infant daughter would require biometric scans 800 miles away in Warsaw
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The UK’s flagship scheme for welcoming Ukrainians has been called “heartless and inhumane” after visa officials demanded a six-month-old baby undergo security scans 800 miles from her home before she is allowed to fly to Britain.
Olga Kolisnyk applied five weeks ago to take her two children – Illia, 11, and baby, Maria – to the UK from their home in war-torn Kharkiv but the process has been tied up in red tape.
Families who applied nearly five weeks ago but are still waiting for UK visas, despite the government’s promise to approve them within 48 hours.
At least 14 cases, involving nine adults and five children, where visas have been approved but the applicants have not been informed. One family of a five-year-old boy were waiting in Kharkiv while missiles fell because they had not been told that they had permission to fly to Britain.
An 11-year-old boy was waiting so long his passport expired – so UK officials required him to start the process again and travel to Warsaw to undergo biometric scans.
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