London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Over 500 Ukrainian children stuck waiting for UK visa decision

Over 500 Ukrainian children stuck waiting for UK visa decision

Exclusive: sources say most have hosts ready under Homes for Ukraine scheme but have heard nothing
More than 500 Ukrainian children who fled the war without their parents are stuck waiting in limbo across Europe after applying to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, sources working closely with the Home Office say.

Most are teenagers who thought they would be eligible and have British families waiting to host them, but have heard nothing from the Home Office.

Many have been waiting for two months or more without an answer due to indecision about how to handle their cases.

Some are alone in Europe having left home thinking they would soon be joining a British family that is ready to welcome them. Others are with adult siblings or family friends who have been made legal guardians but still have no permission to come.

About 25 unaccompanied children were allowed into Britain during the first two weeks of the Homes For Ukraine scheme and ended up in care as a result, sources say.

Though the policy now says children cannot travel without their parents unless they are with a legal guardian, the Home Office has not been offering a decision or solution to all those who applied before this was set out.

Even teenagers travelling with adults who have been made legal guardians by their parents are among those caught up in the deadlock.

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, said: “I have only this week raised concerns in a letter to the immigration minister regarding the government’s policy on unaccompanied minors, but this latest information reflects the potential scale of the problem.

“We understand that the government needs to undertake comprehensive safeguarding checks but there is a particular question about why long delays are still happening in instances where a parent has already completed the relevant paperwork which grants permission for their child to be placed in the care of a relative.”

Earlier this month, the Guardian told the story of Nazarii, 17, who was listening to war planes flying overhead in his village in western Ukraine while he waited for a decision from the Home Office. A teaching assistant and her family in Hampshire were ready to host him but he had heard nothing since submitting an application on 11 April.

More than three weeks later, he is still in Ukraine with no refusal or update. “The Home Office hasn’t given me any information. I don’t know what to do,” he said. “If it’s a refusal, OK, but without any information it’s impossible.”

Beth Gardiner-Smith, the chief executive of the child refugee charity Safe Passage, said: “We know of far too many children who are currently stuck in limbo, alone in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, who are desperate to join their sponsors here in the UK. Unacceptably, this is leaving lone children in dangerous and vulnerable positions, at risk of exploitation.”

Gardiner-Smith said the government should expand the Homes for Ukraine scheme to include unaccompanied children by working with local authorities and charities to ensure safeguarding.

Even those with British hosts ready to foster children have had no decision. Among these is severely autistic 16-year-old Timothy Tymoshenko, who the Guardian reported is still waiting in Poland to be allowed to join a British foster carer.

The situation is so critical that sources said it was the biggest point of concern at the latest weekly meeting of MPs’ offices with the Home Office.

Krish Kandiah, the founder of the Sanctuary Foundation, which is supporting British hosts in the Homes for Ukraine scheme, said: “It is disturbing to hear that unaccompanied minors seeking to leave Ukraine for their own safety are waiting so long for visas when I know that there are foster carers like my own family and other appropriate hosts in the UK that are willing to care for them.”

A government spokesperson said: “Due to safeguarding concerns, unaccompanied minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reuniting with a parent or legal guardian in the UK.

“The Ukrainian government has been clear that their preference is children should not be taken from Ukraine without their parents and that moving a child from their home region must be in their best interest.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×