UK defends Ukraine refugee policy amid anger at slow pace

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The British government is defending its Ukraine refugee policy despite figures indicating that only 12,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war have arrived in the U.K. The figure from the government includes 10,800 people who came to join family members in Britain, and just 1,200 under the Homes for Ukraine program set up to match refuges with volunteer hosts. Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon said Friday Britons were feeling “angry and frustrated that their gesture of support has been lost into a web of bureaucracy and chaos.” Home Secretary Priti Patel acknowledged feeling “frustration” and said she was working to streamline the process. But she defended the visa rules, saying Britain needed to provide security alongside a warm welcome for refugees.