By Sadiq Khan: UK should do more to help refugees
According to London mayor Sadiq Khan, the UK should be doing “much more” to help Ukrainian refugees.
Mr Khan joined a large crowd near Hyde Park ahead of a march in solidarity with Ukraine as they hold fast against Russia’s ongoing attacks.
The Labour mayor said the actions of the UK government compared with other European countries were “embarrassing”.
Mr Khan said it needed to be made “much more easier for those who are fleeing Ukraine to come here”.
This month the government opened its Homes for Ukraine scheme, which allows UK nationals to individually sponsor a Ukrainian national’s visa so that those without family connections can still come to live with a host family in the UK.
Many cities have seen protests in solidarity with Ukraine, urging an end to the war and asking the UK government to take more action.
In London, protesters made their way towards Trafalgar Square whilst holding Ukrainian flags and banners that said “stop Putin’s war”, “no fly zone” and “solidarity with Ukraine”.
The crowd chanted “we stand with Ukraine” as traffic was brought to a standstill.
Mr Khan praised the actions of Londoners who had “shown that we’re opening our arms to Ukrainian refugees, whether it’s by donating money to those charities doing a brilliant job in Ukraine or by opening our homes to those fleeing Ukraine”.
“I’m full of admiration for anybody who has the space to provide a room for those who have fled Ukraine,” he told the BBC.
“It’s really important families are not left to their own devices, the government has to step up and support them.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said about 10 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion so far.
While roughly 3.6 million have left for neighbouring countries, another estimated 6.5 million people are thought to be displaced inside Ukraine itself.
