UK Security officials advocate against 'open-door policy' toward Ukrainian refugees

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UK’s Security officials have warned Home Secretary Priti Patel not to ease visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees, claiming they might be accompanied by ISIS militants, mercenaries, and Mafia-connected criminals, the Daily Mail reported.

Unnamed senior intelligence sources told the newspaper that "no one disputes that this is a humanitarian tragedy and that 99.9 percent of the refugees [from Ukraine] are genuine."

The source cautioned, however, that the British government "cannot just allow a completely open-door policy", adding that "Ukraine is a melting pot at the moment, and we have already been presented with fake passports."

Furthermore, the officials also advised against plans for an online visa system to receive Ukrainian refugees, claiming that such a system would be too vulnerable to be hacked by alleged Russian security agents.

The claims come just days after Patel told Commons lawmakers that the government intends to ease its strict entry requirements for Ukrainian refugees.

"[…] In short, Ukrainians with passports will be able to get permission to come here fully online from wherever they are, and will be able to give their biometrics once in Britain", the home secretary said.

This came after Roger Gale, a senior Conservative Party lawmaker, accused Patel of misleading the parliament about a visa application center (VAC) for Ukrainian refugees she said her department was established in the French port of Calais.

The Home Secretary said yesterday that a visa centre had already been set up in Calais.
This was untrue and under any normal administration that would be a resigning matter. pic.twitter.com/ZPGpfwesCy

— Sir Roger Gale MP (@SirRogerGale) March 8, 2022

In an address to MPs on Monday, Patel said that "we have staff in Calais, we have support on the ground. It is wrong to say we're just turning people back, we're absolutely not, and we’re supporting those that have been coming to Calais".

The pathology of racism

UK’s Home Secretary has come under intense political pressure in recent weeks as a result of the low number of refugees admitted to the UK.

As the UN estimated that nearly 2.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine since February 24, the European Union and the UK has rushed to declare that member countries will welcome these refugees with "open arms," and neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary, and Romania have since taken in millions of Ukrainians. These borders, however, have not been opened equitably.

Arab, African, and South Asian citizens in Ukraine have had a particularly difficult time fleeing the country. There have been numerous reports of refugees being pushed off buses and trains, forcing them to make the long, perilous journey on foot.

To ameliorate the escalating situation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged authorities to open their borders to African citizens fleeing Ukraine, as reports arise of racism against non-Ukrainian refugees on the borders, as they were denied access to safety, according to the UNHCR.

Several videos and content depicting the blatant racism and bigotry against African refugees circulated in the media, especially on train stations and borders. 

Al Mayadeen's correspondent at the Ukrainian-Polish border has reported that several non-Ukrainian refugees were beaten, another instance of racial violence during the crisis. 

Nigeria has recently slammed Ukraine for its racism against African citizens: the African country urged border officials in Ukraine and neighboring countries to treat its citizens equally amid mounting reports of racial discrimination against Africans fleeing the country.

Nigerians, Ghanaians, and other Africans, many of whom are students, have joined hundreds of thousands of people trying to escape Ukraine across borders into Poland and other nations.