<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Ms Patel insisted the UK cannot waive visas for people fleeing Ukraine as the UK must still protect its national security.<\/p>\n The Home Secretary responded to calls for visa waivers by telling MPs that “Russian troops are seeking to infiltrate and merge with Ukrainian forces” and that there are “extremists on the ground” in Ukraine.<\/p>\n She added: “Given this and also Putin’s willingness to do violence on British soil, and in keeping with our approach which we have retained consistently throughout all emergency evacuations including in Afghanistan, we cannot suspend any security or biometric checks on people we welcome to our country.<\/p>\n “We have a collective duty to keep the British people safe and this approach is based on the strongest security advice.”<\/p>\n Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asked several questions in a bid to establish how many people the changes will help, and sought assurances that nobody will have to pay if they are seeking sanctuary from Ukraine.<\/p>\n She added: “Does the sponsoring family member have to be British or have to have indefinite leave to remain? What about Ukrainians here on work visas, on study visas, who have come maybe as lorry drivers or on visitor visas?<\/p>\n “Surely she is not expecting to turn their families away? When people are fleeing Russian authoritarianism and war, I assume she will not be applying a test based on which bureaucratic box UK residents tick?<\/p>\n “Can she make a simple commitment now that family members from Ukraine who are fleeing persecution are all welcome here in the UK – no matter what visa their family member here in the UK has, that we will give them sanctuary?”<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/priti-patel-ukraine-refugees-snp-commons-1573750.jpg?r=1646143340557\")
<\/p>\nCalgary: Russian Orthodox Church is vandalised with red paint<\/h3>\n