Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the number of biometric appointments available in visa application centres in Berlin in the week commencing 28 March 2022.
The Home Office works closely with its commercial partners to ensure sufficient appointments are made available in each location to meet demand.
At the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, we ensured Ukrainian customers were prioritised for biometric appointments in neighbouring countries.
Since the new online Ukraine Family Scheme route went live, and customers in possession of a valid Ukrainian/endorsed government passport no longer needed to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to enrol their biometrics, we have observed fewer Ukrainian customers are attending VACs for biometric appointments.