Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department provides (a) schemes and (b) support to Russian nationals fleeing repression and wishing to join their Ukrainian families seeking asylum in the UK.

There are a range of safe and legal routes for individuals to come to the UK should they wish to join family members here, or to work or study. They would need to meet the requirements of the relevant Immigration Rule under which they were applying to qualify for a visa.

While we do not allow asylum claims from abroad, all asylum claims lodged from within the UK, which includes those from Russian nationals, are given full and careful consideration so we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. Protection is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention or their circumstances engage our obligations under Article 3 ECHR.

With regards to the Ukraine Family Scheme, this provides an immediate pathway for people from Ukraine with family already in the UK to come here. This is open to Ukrainians with immediate or extended family settled in the UK. Ukrainians can apply to the scheme from any country, including the UK. The Ukraine Family Scheme allows immediate and extended family members of British nationals, people settled in the UK, and certain others resident here, to come to the country. We continue to keep our support under review and will adapt and develop the visa routes in place to ensure they keep pace with the rapidly shifting situation in Ukraine.