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New refugees minister appointed as Patel squirms and the EU takes in refugees visa-free for three years.

UK's slow response to refugee crisis put into sharp contrast by Ireland - as Patel 'squirms' under questioning in cabinet

The UK's undoubtedly slow response to taking Ukrainian refugees has been put into further sharp contrast by what Ireland is doing.

The Home Office said over the weekend that "around 50" family member visas had been given - a number that Priti Patel then describes as "inaccurate" on Monday and that has now grown to 770.

Overnight, political correspondent Joe Pike heard from a cabinet source that the home secretary struggled to convince colleagues she was on top of the issue during cabinet yesterday. She was said to have "gone round in circles" and "squirmed and hated" it when colleagues, notably Grant Shapps, drilled down into the details.

But while the UK application system has maintained conditions and, seemingly, be plagued by logistical issues, in Ireland they dropped visa requirements as soon as they invasion started.

Sky News Ireland correspondent Stephen Murphy reports that the country has now taken in a total of 2,123 Ukrainian refugees. The true figure may be higher, as Ireland's Department of Justice only maintains data for Dublin Airport, and doesn't count any Ukrainians arriving at other ports of entry.

Ireland, along with the other EU member states, has brought forward temporary protection measures allowing Ukrainians to enter visa-free, and to stay for up to three years.

In an effort to get a grip of the growing visas crisis, Boris Johnson has created the post of refugees minister and appointed former MP and businessman Richard Harrington to the role.

Mr Harrington will be made a life peer.

https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-r...dates-12541713