You may have heard we were in the process of getting permission for a family to come here, however this has fallen through because the people concerned were doctors. They wanted to come to UK because they speak English and wanted to be able to work here as they are fully qualified and experienced doctors in Ukraine. Upon investigating there was no guarantee they would be able to work in the UK so, as Poland has just made rules that most Ukrainian qualifications will now be accepted in Poland, they have decided to stay where they can work but don’t speak the language rather than come here where they speak the language but can’t work. And this from a country desperately short of doctors!

Another case we are trying to sort out at the moment is being held up because a man cannot bring his elderly Ukrainian mother here, who he is supporting unless he is under 18.

The rules are long complicated and sometimes bizarre, less than 10% of those who have applied have actually got through the system. So please use this week to lobby wherever you can, write to your  MP, councillor, newspaper  and lets get the weight of the Sympathetic British public behind getting the Government to move and actually do something to speed up and simplify the process.

Gerry Stacey