UN says 5m refugees have now been created by Russia’s war in Ukraine

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Lviv Remains Haven And Staging Ground As Russia Focuses Assault On Eastern Ukraine
People fleeing from the eastern part of Ukraine wait for a bus that will take them to Poland from the central train station on April 15, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine. As the Russian military campaign continues in the east, civilians are encouraged to leave the area. Lviv has served as a stopover and shelter for the millions of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, either to the safety of nearby countries or the relative security of western Ukraine. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

 The United Nations has said more than five million people have now fled the war in Ukraine. 

The number escaping Russia’s war in the country is creating the biggest refugee crisis since the end of the second world war, with neighbouring countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania bearing the primary burden.

The UN’s refugee agency released data today, with Jakub Andrle, Migration Program Coordinator at People in Need, a Prague-based aid group operating in Ukraine, telling Reuters it was “unprecedented”.

The UK has been criticised for not taking in enough Ukrainian refugees, and for the process of applications being too complicated and inefficient.  

According to the Home Office, the total number of visa applications received sits at 94,700, with 39,100 through the Ukraine Family Scheme and 55,600 with the Sponsorship Scheme.

It said 16,400 visa holders have arrived in the UK through the two schemes.