Priti Patel Talks With Visa Forked Tongue

On the front page of today’s Murdoch Sun, readers are told the grim news that those under the control of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and his gangsterist régime in Moscow have been shelling civilians fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Alongside the grim reality, though, is the propaganda, as it is claimed “Priti vow: I’ll open up UK to ALL Ukrainians”.

Smirktastic, fruit pickers!

And in support of this singularly dubious claim is a piece under the by-line of the odious flannelled fool Master Harry Cole, the pretend “journalist” who has been made the paper’s political editor, headlined “UK HOPE … Priti Patel to relax rules to allow ALL Ukrainian refugees fleeing Putin’s invasion to come to Britain”. Really? Do go on.

“PRITI Patel is preparing to offer any desperate Ukrainian refugee fleeing Putin’s invasion a 'humanitarian route' to the UK, The Sun can reveal … So far only those with a family member in Britain have been offered sanctuary, sparking calls for the Government to go further … But following a harrowing trip to the Ukrainian border, the Home Secretary wants to relax the rules”. All of a sudden, she’s all heart. So what’s on the menu?

“Last night she told The Sun: ‘In response to the desperation I saw with my own eyes at the Polish border two days ago, I’m urgently escalating our response to the growing humanitarian crisis … I am now investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian route … This means anyone without ties to the UK fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will have a right to come to this nation’”. That Ms Patel was the one giving dictation is not in doubt.

Hence the awkward “the legal options” and “a right to come to this nation” (rather than the more obvious “country”). And note the “I am now investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian route”. Because the reality, right now, is that very few refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine are being allowed into the UK, propaganda notwithstanding.

As ever, it depends very much on the paper you read: while Master Cole is obediently taking dictation, Dan Bloom of the Mirror is asking the more difficult questions, reporting that “[France’s] Interior minister Gerald Darmanin … said around 150 Ukrainians were turned away by UK border officials [at the port of Calais] and told to travel back to Paris or Brussels to obtain visas”. But Ms Patel then claimed this was not happening.

She told “The British Government is not turning anybody around or turning anybody back at all … I have staff in Calais to provide support to Ukrainian families”. Bloom added “The Mirror asked the Home Office to clarify whether there is a visa application centre in Calais and, if not, when one will be set up. We also asked [the] Home Office whether or not applicants in Calais need to travel to Paris. We are currently awaiting a reply”.

Meanwhile, Henry Mance of the FT mused, with justifiable cynicism, “Britain has granted a grand total of 50 visas to Ukrainian family members so far, and Boris Johnson is probably marching around Downing Street asking what the hold-up is with Roman Abramovich’s peerage”, to which one exasperated Tweeter added “The city of Perpignan in France has taken more refugees (200) than the whole of the UK”. Plus a reminder for Ms Patel.

“50 years ago 27,000 Ugandan Asians were allowed to resettle in the UK after fleeing persecution. 50 years later 50 Ukrainians have so far been granted visas. The Home Secretary's parents are Ugandan Asians”. A long, sad journey just to court the bigots.

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