Select a region
Government officials have confirmed that so far Jersey has allowed in "five or fewer" refugees from the war in Ukraine.
The UN believes close to three million people have so far been driven out of that country, after its invasion by Russia, with the UK issuing 6,100 visas as of the 16 March.
In response to questions from Express, the Government said that "a small number" of refugees had so far arrived here in Jersey, using the Ukrainian family visa scheme.
They declined to give an exact figure, but clarified that "a small number" referred to five or fewer - commonly used by the Government as the threshold below which they decline to give exact numbers.
When asked by Express, officials also declined to state how many applications had been received within the last fortnight from Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in Jersey, how many had been turned down and how many were still being processed.
Instead, the Home Affairs Minister, Deputy Gregory Guida, published the following general statement:
"JCIS (Jersey Customs and Immigration Service) officers are in contact with the UK Home Office to ensure all applications to travel to Jersey are expedited as quickly as possible.
"To date, a small number of Ukrainian nationals have arrived in Jersey utilising the Ukrainian family Visa scheme. Further arrivals are anticipated in the next fortnight once their visas applications have been processed by the Home Office.
"Employees across the Government of Jersey are working to ensure that wraparound services are in place to ensure the new arrivals are provided with appropriate support.
Pictured: Islanders have rallied around to support Ukraine.
Last week, Islanders were asked to come forward if they could house a refugee family by emailing externalrelations@gov.je.
Currently, family members including parents, children, siblings, and their spouses and children of Ukrainian nationals living in Jersey are able to apply for a visa to seek refuge in the island.
At the time, the Government said more than a dozen individuals had been assessed as eligible to seek refuge so far and announced that it was pledging £250,000 to help with the costs of applying for a visa and temporary accommodation if needed.
It comes after some Jersey residents with Ukrainian families told Express that they wanted to bring their families to safety with them, but may struggle with some of the costs of supporting them.
The Government’s quarter-of-a-million to help those on-island comes in addition to a £1m ‘kickstart’ donation to the Bailiff’s Ukraine appeal to deliver support in the country, and £360,000 from Jersey Overseas Aid to be split between three frontline agencies working to help Ukrainian civilians.
Islanders themselves have also raised more than £200,000, with donations now being taken via the registered charity Side by Side.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.