The UK will ease the process of issuing visas for refugees fleeing Russian invasion from next week, the government said on Thursday.

“From Tuesday, I can announce that Ukrainians with passports will no longer need to go to the visa application center to submit their biometric data before they arrive in the UK,” Home Secretary Priti Patel told Parliament.

Patel said she received "

“Instead, once their application has been reviewed and the relevant checks completed, they will receive a direct notification that they are eligible for the scheme and can come to the UK.”.

Patel and her department are accused of forcing Ukrainian refugees to overcome obstacles in order to obtain visas to travel to the UK..

Hundreds traveled to the English Channel port of Calais hoping to cross the border to reunite with family in the UK but were turned away for lack of travel documents.

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“Ukrainians with passports will be able to get permission to come here completely online, wherever they are, and will be able to hand over their biometric data after arriving in Britain,” Patel said in Parliament.

“This will mean that Visa Application Centers across Europe will be able to focus their efforts on helping Ukrainians without passports.”.

Christian leaders in London also issued a joint address on Wednesday expressing concern over Europe's "

“How can you expect mothers with young children, elderly and disabled people who have traveled a thousand miles to fill out online forms in a foreign language?

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More than 2 million Ukrainians left the country today. On the Polish-Ukrainian border, people have to wait for 60 hours.

Read about how to obtain refugee status in the article by Anna Bohdanets "