A headteachers’ leader has said schools “stand ready” after Nadhim Zahawi announced plans for the UK to take in 100,000 children fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Proposals to increase the capacity of the country’s schools for Ukrainian children was announced last night by the education secretary.
The Department for Education is yet to provide more details about how and when it expects this to happen.
When asked if the UK policy towards bringing refugees over from Ukraine was a “success”, Mr Zahawi told BBC’s Question Time yesterday evening: “What you are seeing now is a surge in our capability to take more Ukrainians…I can tell you in my own department, in education, I have a team that’s already making plans for a capacity of 100,000 children that we will take into our schools.”
He added: “When there’s a malign state that can use this particular issue to send people over to the UK that can do us harm, we have to have some checks. We need to streamline that, we need to get better at it and you will see that number increase of people we bring in.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We look forward to hearing the education secretary’s plans for increasing capacity in schools and we are sure that the practical implications can be worked through rapidly to answer this pressing humanitarian need.”
He added that “the education sector stands ready” to help in the efforts of supporting refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Today, home secretary Priti Patel has promised a streamlined online visa application system for Ukrainians seeking to flee the war with Russia, in response to criticism of her approach to the crisis.
Ms Patel told MPs that the changes will come in from Tuesday, following assurances from the security services that the UK can still be protected from Russian efforts to infiltrate the country by posing as Ukrainian refugees.
Yesterday, prime minister Boris Johnson had continued to resist calls, including from Ukraine ambassador Vadym Prystaiko, to drop visa requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the violence - insisting the security checks were vital to prevent Russian president Vladimir Putin infiltrating agents into the UK.
Ms Patel said: “From Tuesday, I can announce that Ukrainians with passports will no longer need to go to a visa application centre to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.
“Instead, once their application has been considered and appropriate checks completed, they will receive direct notification that they’re eligible for the scheme and can come to the UK.”
More than two million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
Figures from Downing Street on Wednesday showed Britain had granted just 957 visas.
