Thousands of migrants from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have been granted entry into Britain through a government scheme designed to provide free visas for Ukrainian refugees.
Under two separate programmes intended to support those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, nearly 3,500 visas have been issued to individuals from 112 countries, including Iran, Iraq, India, Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, and Nigeria.
The Mail Online reports: Under one option, Ukrainians could come to the UK if they had family living in Britain, or they could enter the country if they had been offered accommodation under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship programme.
Both schemes were set up under the previous government, but have continued under Labour as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on into its fifth year.
The number of visas given to non-Ukrainians is now almost one in every 80 of the 279,223 applications granted by the Government.
Russians make up the biggest number of non-Ukrainians to have entered the UK under the visa scheme at 588, while Nigerians made up 408, Afghans 294, Iraqis 161, Moldovans 152, Turks 149, Indians 124, Belarusians 107, Iranians 107 and Egyptians 106.
Other nationalities entering Britain under the Ukrainian visa scheme included Ghanaians (81), Syrians (65), Libyans (34), Palestinians (27), Vietnamese (18), Yemenis (17), Chileans (seven) and Argentines (three).
Critics say the Government should not be allowing non-Ukrainians to enter the UK under the visa scheme.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘The Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme is primarily for Ukrainian nationals.
‘Third-country nationals can only be eligible if they apply as part of a family group, which must include an immediate family member who is a Ukrainian national, and they must apply at the same time.
‘The Ukraine schemes remain temporary, in line with the Ukrainian government’s strong desire for the future return of its citizens, and do not lead to settlement.’
The recent Home Office data, analysed by The Telegraph, comes after a Palestinian family fleeing the war in Gaza won a court ruling last year allowing them to come to Britain through the Ukrainian refugee scheme.
The family argued that they should be allowed entry to the UK and live with a relative under the Ukrainian visa scheme because there was no other way for them to seek refuge in Britain.
Philip argued that in this case, the European Convention of Human Rights had been abused to allow the Ukrainian scheme to be ‘twisted into a route for Palestinians to come to the UK.’
The Ukrainian visa schemes were set up by the previous government, but have continued under Labour.