Facing criticism, particularly from France, the United Kingdom on Monday announced the establishment of a visa application center for Ukrainian refugees in Calais (Pas-de-Calais).

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said his country will be “as liberal as possible”.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel said, “It is wrong to say that we are only sending people back, it is not so, we are supporting those who have come to Calais.”

Before Parliament, it confirmed that London had set up a visa application center in Calais, but “far from the port”. He emphasized the need not to create “bottlenecks in Calais”.

“Totally inappropriate response” according to Darmin

The migration issue is at the root of long-standing tensions between London and Paris, especially since Brexit, in which border control was one of the great promises.

Last Saturday, in a letter to his British counterpart, French Interior Minister Gerald Darminin criticized the “totally inadequate response” and the United Kingdom’s “lack of humanity” towards Ukrainian refugees, who are visiting the port of Calais. I came back.

“We already have two very, very generous avenues” to welcome Ukrainians to the UK, Boris Johnson said in a televised address, referring to the family reunion “which could potentially save hundreds of thousands of people in the UK”. can see coming. This country” and “Humanitarian Way”.

The Conservative leader assured that “thousands of files” are currently being processed by immigration services, but warned that the United Kingdom would not allow refugees “without any checks or checks”. “We will be as generous as possible,” he said.

A total of 17,700 applications have been submitted for family reunification, Priti Patel’s services were announced on Monday evening. But so far only 300 visas have been issued.