Ukrainian grandma living in Weymouth will NOT be kicked out of UK, Home Office confirm

Alla Yuzhakova, aged, 72 was in her home city of Mykolayiv when the Russian invasion began in February. She was forced to flee her home, and walk in snow and rain to the Moldovan border, where she was fed by strangers - before eventually making it to the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

It was at Bucharest Airport last Friday that Irina Wilson was finally united with her mum, who suffers from cancer, after what she described as a 'nightmare and terror'.

72-year-old Alla Yuzhakova, Irina Wilson, 42, and granddaughters Zarena, 15, and Audrey, four. Picture: Irina Wilson

After surviving the journey, Ms Yuzhakova made an Adult Dependent Relative application which entitles somebody to stay indefinitely in the UK but costs £3,380.

Mrs Wilson and her home are now safe in Weymouth, but the 72-year-old grandma was informed by the application had been rejected.

READ MORE: Ukrainian grandmother living in Weymouth may have to leave UK

The email sent by the Home Office to Ms Yuzhakova said she 'did not meet the requirements' to be an adult dependant relative.

Her daughter Mrs Wilson said she feared her mum may have to leave the UK.

A Government spokeswoman said: "I can confirm Alla Yuzhakova will not be asked to leave the UK.

"Her application has been sent to another route in our system, which is more suitable.

"We're standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians which is why we’ve made it easier for those with Ukrainian passports to come here.

"This is alongside changes to visas to ensure Ukrainians in the UK can stay here.

"We have expanded our Visa Application Capacity to 13,000 a week, deployed additional staff across the EU, with a 24/7 helpline in place to ensure those who need appointments can get them to come here. This allows us to balance security risks while welcoming those in need.

"A new sponsorship route, which will allow Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come here is also being brought forward and all the measures we’ve put in place follow extensive engagement with Ukrainian partners. We will keep our support under constant review."

In response to the news, Mrs Wilson said: "We now know she won't be forced to leave the country, but she needs her residency to make sure we can care for her.

"At the moment she has her old family visit visa which isn't good enough if she wants to stay here permanently.

"The Home Office said that they will reconsider and have a look into her case again. The higher management will look again. So we have hope again."

A Gofundme page has been set up to help with the financial costs to the family. To donate, please visit: Please help Ukraine MIL with medical bill

The Home Office said it recognises some may not have passports with them, which is why the Government expanded its Visa Application Centre appointment capacity to 13,000 a week, with a 24/7 helpline in place and deployed additional staff across the EU to help those who are particularly vulnerable.

The spokeswoman added: "The public rightly expect we keep them safe from security risks, and these changes ensure we can deliver that while welcoming those in need. Public security demands we have confidence that an individual asking to come to the UK is who they say they are.

"As well as our 24/7 helpline bolstered with 100 new staff we are surging staff to our application centres across the EU to help speed this up further, with the number of appointments increased by ten times on last week [600 to 6,000].

"The Ukraine Family Scheme allows immediate and extended family members of British nationals and people settled in the UK to come to the country. Those joining the Scheme will be granted leave for three years, giving them certainty and ensuring their future in the country.

"As the Ukrainian Ambassador told the Home Affairs Select Committee - he is grateful for the UK’s ‘generous’ routes, but was also clear that Ukrainian people “want to be closer to their roots and to their country."

The local sponsorship scheme will match charities, businesses and individuals to those who do not have family ties to the UK, with the ability to work and access public services.

Details of the Local Sponsorship Scheme for Ukraine is being worked up at pace and will be communicated in due course, including how people and organisations in the UK can apply to be sponsors.

Further information on the Ukraine Family Scheme can be found here: www.gov.uk