Disbelief and outrage as UK turns away 150 refugees from Ukraine
There is outrage and disbelief on both sides of the Channel this morning after it emerged that the UK reportedly turned away around 150 refugees from Ukraine at the border.
They were reportedly refused entry into the UK when they tried to cross over from Calais to Dover.
France reacted furiously, accusing the UK of “lacking humanity” by refusing to allow fleeing Ukrainians to join their families in the UK.
Gerald Darmanin, the French interior minister, has written to his British counterpart, Priti Patel, urging the Home Office to set up a consular visa office in Calais to deal with arriving Ukrainian refugees.
The news came as Airbnb announced it would offer free, temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Chief Executive Brian Officer Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, the chairman of the home rental company’s non-profit arm, said they have sent letters to leaders of Poland, Romania, Germany and Hungary offering help to house the refugees.
Announcing the news via Twitter, Chesky wrote: “Airbnb and Airbnb.org are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free.
Several other companies have also offered support to businesses and consumers in Ukraine, with online crafts retailer Etsy waiving balances of about $4m owed by sellers in the country.
Verizon Communications said it would waive calling charges to Ukraine for some customers, while Virgin Media O2 has removed charges for data use in Ukraine.