Envoy urges UK to lift visa rules for Ukrainians fleeing war

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain has urged the government to suspend visa requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the war, after the U.K. acknowledged that fewer than 1,000 visas have been handed out so far. Ambassador Vadym Prystaiko called for a temporary easing of the rules. Britain’s Conservative government says it is prepared to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine. But as of Wednesday the number of visas issued was just below 1,000. Critics say Britain’s asylum system is in chaos, with reports of Ukrainians struggling to get the paperwork to let them join family and friends in Britain. The United Nations says more than 2 million people have fled the war in Ukraine.