Priti Patel was put on the spot over the long delays to the Ukrainian refugee scheme during an intense exchange with a BBC journalist on Friday.
No.10 has come under fire for dragging its feet when it comes actually to welcoming Ukrainians fleeing the brutal Russian invasion to the UK, especially after promising the under-attack country had Britain’s full support.
After significant backlash, the UK created two schemes – the family visa programme and the sponsorship system – to allow Ukrainians to seek refuge here. But Britain is still trailing its European neighbours when it comes to actively welcoming Ukrainians into the country.
Addressing the delay during an interview with the BBC’s home editor Mark Easton, the home secretary admitted that the scheme has “taken time” but justified the delay by saying “any new scheme takes time”.
But Easton said: “There is huge frustration out there. Your refugees minister has apologised for unacceptable delays. Will you?”
Patel said, “I apologise with frustration myself”, before pointing out that she is responsible for the surge in staff in Calais, where refugees are supposed to be processed to come to the UK.
The home secretary claimed: “We’ve got hundreds of Home Office staff doing visa applications, processing on the ground, providing support.”
Easton interrupted, passionately pointing out: “People say it’s not good enough – you boasted about a surge of staff to Calais to support the Ukrainian refugees who had arrived there.
“I went there, it was two guys, a table and some crisps.”
Patel said: “Well, Mark, first of all there is no boasting that was taking place, let me just be clear about that.”
“You talked about a surge, home secretary!”
“That is our home office staff there and by the way that is done in conjunction with the French government,” the cabinet minister replied.
Approximately 40,900 visas for Ukrainians have now been issued to come to the UK but only 12,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK so far.
Easton compared this stat to the 17,000 who have arrived in Ireland and 300,000 in Germany since the war began in February – “Why is Britain playing catch up?”
Patel replied: “Mark, if I may politely just say that this isn’t about catch-up. It’s not about comparing us to other countries.”
She justified this remark by saying the UK has an “uncapped scheme” which is “unprecedented”, only for the BBC journalist to point out: “But they’re not coming home secretary.”
He said people are blaming the red tape of the home office for not allowing Ukrainians to come to the UK.
“It’s always easy to blame someone else,” the home secretary said – even though 100,000 people in the UK signed up to host a Ukrainian refugee less than 24 hours after the scheme launched last month.
Patel also said that the home office’s security checks aren’t the problem, even though the UK is the only European country asking for visas from the refugees.
She claimed this red tape was simply because the UK has left the EU, and so is no longer part of the free movement system.
“Can’t you suspend that for this crisis to make it quicker?” Easton asked.
Patel deflected by saying the Windrush scandal was caused by people arriving to the UK without having to submit documentation first.
She said visas gives people the right to get settled in Britain, but Easton replied: “It’s slowing the process up.”
Patel said: “It’s not slowing the process up, Mark!”
He compared again Britain to Germany, but she said “it’s not like for like” because the UK is now an “independent, third country”.
“We have to make sure they are protected and safe-guarded,” Patel maintained, but her interviewer pointed out that people are still coming over from the channel in small boats in record numbers but there are three to four week delays in the Ukrainian scheme.
She replied: “We’re not seeing delays!”
I’m streamlining processes,” the home secretary promised. “I streamlined the family scheme in less than a week!“
“You will see changes, you will absolutely see changes in numbers,” Patel added.