Boris Johnson insists visa checks are necessary for Ukrainians fleeing war

The British government has come under pressure to do more to take in refugees fleeing Ukraine as Vladimir Putin’s forces continue to bombard towns and cities

The European Union has allowed visa-free travel, but Mr Johnson insisted that the UK was right to require the paperwork to be completed. Picture: AP

Boris Johnson resisted calls from Kyiv and within his own party to drop visa requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the violence, insisting the security checks were vital to prevent Vladimir Putin sending agents to the UK.

He said a thousand visas had been granted under the scheme allowing relatives of people in Britain to flee the war zone to join their families and he promised another programme allowing individuals to offer a home to Ukrainians would be set out in “the next few days”.