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The UK’s Ukrainian refugee system has been criticised as too slow and too stringent as applicants are ferried between sites in France.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the government was giving priority to “paperwork over people” in its response to the Ukraine refugee crisis. The UK is unique in Europe in requiring Ukrainians obtain a visa before entering the country as they flee the attack on their country.
The UK’s policy to allow in refugees only if they have families in the UK has also come under fire from EU nations that have adopted more "open door" policies.
More than 2,500 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland, a third of them children. Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine, has taken in 1.29 million people.
Mr Solomon said it was the “worst refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War “.
“We have a scheme in place that's only issued hundreds of visas to allow Ukrainians to come here,” he said.
“We have Ukrainians queuing up in Calais, at the visa application centre in Poland, unable to access documentation.
“And I think the government is making a fundamental error here. It's not adopting a 'refugees first' approach, which it should be adopting
"It seems to be adopting an approach which is 'paperwork over people' — people who have lost everything through no fault of their own.”
In Europe, refugees have been given free travel by rail companies in Poland, Germany and elsewhere to help them move around the continent.
There were chaotic scenes in Calais on Wednesday as refugees tried to gain the right papers for entry into Britain.
They were put on a bus, accompanied by a heavy police presence, bound for visa application centres in Paris, Brussels or Lille.
A new “pop-up” facility is being opened in Lille, about 110 kilometres to the east of Calais, on Thursday amid concern among politicians that smuggling gangs are exploiting people in an area long associated with the migrant crisis.
“I don't know what is happening day to day," said Omed Tahri, who had lived in Ukraine for 14 years. "It is very complicated for me.”
Mr Tahri, a translator who fled his home in Kharkiv to join his sister in East Ham, east London, was among those due to leave a hostel bound for Paris, having been told he had an appointment on Thursday morning.
“We had a good job, a good business, now we have left everything," said the Afghan national, who is travelling with several members of his family.
“Now I have no money, no place to go. I hope they give us the visa … we want to be a unit, all the family together.”
The UK has for days been accused of dragging its heels over the refugee crisis.
“The problem here is there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty," said Clare Moseley, founder of the Care4Calais charity. "It is making the lives of upset people even more difficult.”
Adding to the confusion, the UK Home Office said the Lille visa centre's location would not be made public, prompting further concern about how refugees arriving in the French city would know where to go.
Downing Street said the Lille facility would open on Thursday.
“The equipment and facilities are being stood up today,” a government spokesman said. “It will start accepting appointments from tomorrow morning.”
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
