Thousands of migrants from peaceful countries caught entering Britain on Ukraine war refugee scheme

Susanna Siddell
Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:01:22 +0000

Thousands of migrants have been caught entering Britain on two refugee schemes designed for those fleeing the Ukraine war.

Close to 3,500 asylum seekers from nations across Asia, Africa and the Middle East have cashed in on the Home Office's offer of sanctuary to Ukrainians fleeing the Kremlin's illegal invasion, The Telegraph revealed.

The shocking data showed the migrants' origin spanned across a range of nations, including Afghanistan, India and Nigeria, with some coming from as far as South American nations.

While Britain accepts asylum applications from any country experiencing conflict or instability, special resettlement schemes are crafted for distinct nations, such as Ukraine.

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As such, following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Conservatives set up two visa schemes for Ukrainians seeking refuge from the war.

One scheme allows Ukrainians to enter Britain if a family member was already in the country.

The second, the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship programme, allows individuals to enter Britain if offered accommodation.

But, despite being designed for the war-torn country, non-Ukrainian nationals were able to obtain a visa by being related to someone in the UK under such schemes.

Some 3,464 visas for those not from Ukraine make up one in 80 offered under the scheme, The Telegraph unpicked from Home Office data.

The largest group of non-Ukrainians are Russians, with 588 claiming asylum under the scheme.

Nigerians come second at 408, Afghans at third (294), then Iraqis (161), Moldavans (152) and Indians (124) coming next.

Some 107 from Moscow's ally Belarus claimed asylum under the schemes too.

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Meanwhile, coming from further afield, some 81 Ghanaians, 65 Syrians, 34 Libyans, 27 Palestinians, 18 Vietnamese, and 17 Yemenis used the Ukrainian visa schemes.

There are even 10 applicants from South America, with three from Argentina and seven from Chile.

Blasting the scheme, Reform UK's Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the revelation was an "astonishing betrayal" of the British people.

He fumed: "Just when you thought you could no longer be shocked by Tory immigration betrayal.

"The vast majority [of applications] were granted by the Tories. So even the parts of the Boriswave that you thought were justifiable were used to scam the British people."

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."