Carmichael speaks out against Ukrainian visa restrictions as invasion approaches two-year milestone

Orkney and Shetland MP and Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, has spoken out against government changes to cut back visa access for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country. Speaking in Parliament on Monday evening during a statement on the death of Russian political activist Alexei Navalny, Mr Carmichael warned that the government’s goal of support for the rule of law and Ukraine’s fight against Russia sat uncomfortably with the new restrictions, which came into force without any debate in Parliament.

The visa scheme allowing Ukrainians to join family members in the UK has closed to new applications, while the separate Homes for Ukraine scheme remains open for those who are eligible. More than 200,000 people have come to the UK under these schemes since the start of the conflict, which marks its second anniversary on Saturday.

On Sunday the government announced Ukrainians who had sought sanctuary in the UK under the schemes could apply for an 18-month visa extension. New arrivals had been granted three years to remain, meaning the first visas were due to expire in March 2025.

However, on Monday the government announced it was reducing the length of new visas issued under the Homes for Ukraine (HFU) scheme from 36 months to 18 months. The statement also announced the closure of the Ukraine Family Scheme, which came into effect at 15:00 GMT on Monday.

Speaking in Parliament Mr Carmichael said:

“The House and the whole country are easily and instinctively united in condemnation of this latest evidence of Vladimir Putin’s brutality, but is the Minister not a little uncomfortable that he makes his statement on the same day that his colleagues in the Home Office have announced restrictions on visa access for those from Ukraine fleeing the war against Russia? Does he not understand that we diminish the effect of our outrage unless we are seen to be doing absolutely everything, at home and abroad, to support our Ukrainian allies?

Responding for the government, Foreign Office minister Leo Docherty MP said:

“I know from my own constituency, as all Members will know, that our collective response, whether from the Government, local government or at an individual level, has been consistently generous and open hearted.”

Reacting after the exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

“To make the mistake of shutting down the Ukrainian Family Scheme is bad enough – to sneak this announcement out in silence to try and avoid scrutiny is an insult. People across the UK and in the isles have opened their hearts and their homes to Ukrainian refugees – something we should be proud of and continue to support.

“It is hard to imagine that we are about to reach the grim milestone of two years since the full-scale invasion. Now is the time to redouble our efforts and our aid. As Putin's illegal invasion continues to rage, we must stand with the people of Ukraine and support them rather than undermine them with sly rule changes. It is hard to reconcile those aims with this decision which the government has taken.”