Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron has criticized the Home Office for its handling of visas for a Ukrainian family seeking asylum in Britain.
The family are currently in Romania trying to reach Britain after fleeing the ongoing conflict since Russia invaded the country.
The godfathers of the family in Bowness are deeply worried about being deported by the Romanian government to the active war zone on Wednesday due to Home Office failures.
Speaking this morning, Tim said: ‘We were assured last week by the Home Office’s MPs Engagement Officer that they would expedite the visa process for this family as a matter of urgency, but in vain.
“We have been reporting this issue for over ten and a half weeks and half the family have had visas to travel for some time but three are still without them and when asked about it today we were told said they won’t provide an update until tomorrow at the earliest.
“This is a multi-generational family with both young children and an elderly wife who are abandoned by our Home Office and are going to be returned to an active war zone for no other reason than incompetence. bureaucratic.”
The family is sponsored by members of the congregation of St. Martins Church of Bowness on Windermere and includes an elderly grandmother, her three daughters and two children aged three and twelve.
Mr Rayner, who is hosting the family, said today: ‘We are deeply concerned that they cannot get here before they are removed by the Romanian government.
“We have a responsibility to care for these people here and we are desperately looking for answers.”
Tim wrote to the Home Secretar to try to get an update on the situation.