Techbuyer Supports the UK Visa Waiver Petition

The accelerating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine as a result of the illegal war Russia is waging there is heartbreaking for all Ukrainian citizens. Techbuyer, like many British businesses, is determined to do all we can to try to help to alleviate their suffering.

We want the UK to ensure they can find sanctuary and safety here, away from the destruction being rained down upon the country, without having to negotiate tortuous bureaucratic hurdles.

The UK government's apparent disinclination to allow quick and easy passage to this country for those fleeing the terror in their homeland is, we believe, both appalling and unacceptable.

It is shameful that the UK authorities have not already put in place visa waiver measures for Ukrainian citizens and the fact that the EU has done makes us all the more determined to see that ludicrous situation reversed. This is why we are backing moves to pressure the UK government to follow the EU's lead and allow Ukrainians to come here without the need to go through the arduous, lengthy and chaotic processes required to apply for visas, let alone be granted them.

At the time of writing, more than 10,000 Ukrainians have made visa applications to come here yet significantly fewer than 1,000 have been granted. That is indefensible and Techbuyer wants the system rapidly changed to let those Ukrainians who wish to come here do so without hindrance.

The situation at present is dire. For instance, as of Tuesday, it is believed there were at least 600 Ukrainians in Calais who have been turned back by UK border officials and told to go to Brussels - where the UK visa centre is only open three times a week, or Paris, where people are still being told the next appointment slots available are on March 15. Ukrainians are also still being told the next appointment is a week away in Warsaw in Poland and in Rzeszów in the south-east of the country the booking system "seems to have completely broken down", according to one leading politician.

With no sign of an end to the horrors being endured by the people of Ukraine in sight, Techbuyer is urging everyone here who hasn't already done so to sign the petition to the UK government to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian passport holders wishing to escape to the UK. Although the minimum number of signatories required has been achieved, we feel the more pressure put on the government to change its position the better. We hope the weight of opinion will be brought to bear and a positive outcome will result when Parliament debates this petition on March 14 - which is still almost a week away.

The people of Ukraine who are trying to escape are war refugees, let us give them a safe place where they, their families and children can find refuge. We stand with Ukraine.