Ukrainians pay scammers and illegally bring their children to the UK – The Independent

Ukrainians who fled to the UK without their young children are now unable to reunite with them legally.

This is reported by The Independent.

According to the publication, the problem arose nearly a year ago when the now-former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, canceled the family reunification program for Ukrainians.

The report highlights that Ukrainian parents are resorting to increasingly desperate measures. To bring their underage children from Ukraine to the UK, some are even working with fraudsters.

“Parents are taking desperate measures to bring their young children to the UK. We are frequently contacted by desperate people paying unscrupulous consultants,” the charity organization Settled told the newspaper.

The publication explains that many refugees left their children with grandparents to initially settle in their new environment and find work. Currently, more than 100 families cannot reunite with their children.

“We are seeing more and more desperate people who have paid fraudulent advisors for advice that enables… entry into the UK without border control via the Republic of Ireland,” a letter stated.

However, official entry for underage Ukrainians is not possible due to current rules. As of February 2024, refugees are no longer allowed to sponsor family members. Previously, this sponsorship enabled family members to come to the UK and obtain visas. Now, sponsorship is only available to those with permanent residency, British citizenship, or Irish citizenship.