London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

Government to change rules on letting Ukrainian children into UK

Government to change rules on letting Ukrainian children into UK

Unaccompanied under-18s are expected to be allowed with written permission from parent or guardian
New rules that will allow Ukrainian children to come to Britain alone are expected to be announced this week.

It follows revelations in the Guardian that more than 500 children who fled the war without their parents have been stuck waiting in limbo across Europe after applying to the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Most are teenagers who thought they would be eligible and have British families waiting to host them, but who have heard nothing from the Home Office.

The announcement could come as soon as Wednesday, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph, which said under-18s would be allowed to come to Britain unaccompanied if they had written permission from a parent or legal guardian.

A Home Office spokesperson would not confirm any details but did not deny that an announcement was expected on Wednesday. It is understood that the policy will be part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Teenagers travelling without their parents were initially accepted for visas under Homes for Ukraine. A policy banning under-18s from travelling without their parents or a legal guardian was then introduced, but the Home Office did not offer a decision or solution to all those who applied before it was set out.

Beth Gardiner-Smith, chief executive of Safe Passage International, said: “We welcome reports that a new route is to be created for unaccompanied children from Ukraine. It should not, however, have taken this long, with children having been effectively abandoned with the promise of visas that never came through as the government delayed over what to do. Too many children, already traumatised by war, are alone, distressed and vulnerable, with their young lives on hold.”

Nazarii, 17, has been waiting for a Home Office decision from his village in western Ukraine for more than two months while war planes fly overhead. No progress has been made in his case since the Guardian first reported it at the start of May and he has heard nothing from the department.

A teaching assistant and her family in Hampshire have been ready to host him since the application was submitted at the start of April. Nazarii said he was finding the wait and lack of information from the Home Office “impossible” and was relieved that it might soon be resolved. “I’m very happy,” he said. “I hope now that all will be fine with applying.”

The Labour peer Alf Dubs said the government would in effect be returning to its original position, having left teenagers waiting alone in precarious situations. “There’s been absolute incompetence, if not bad faith, all along … It’s unacceptably awful what the government has been doing,” he said.

A government spokesperson said: “It is tragic that children have been caught up in Putin’s war. We have a responsibility to keep children safe and, as the public rightly expect, we have put robust processes in place to protect them once they arrive in the country, working closely with councils throughout.

“Only under-18s who are travelling with or reuniting with a parent or legal guardian in the UK are currently eligible for Homes for Ukraine, but as we have always said we keep eligibility for all our schemes under review.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×