Mum 'frustrated and ignored' during eight-week process to house Ukrainian refugees

Charlotte Wood, from West Park, signed up for the Government's Home For Ukraine in March as it felt like "the right thing to do".

With an empty property in Nutgrove, Charlotte believed that the resettlement programme would be straightforward and her family could offer a place of safety to those fleeing the atrocities in Ukraine.

Connecting with a Ukrainian mother and her sister and 11-year-old son online (Lina, Olena, and Nikita), Charlotte offered the trio a place of sanctuary far away from their war-torn surroundings close to Lviv.

Lina, Olena and Nikita were fleeing from an area close to Lviv

However, the family was forced to remain where they were for two months as Charlotte hit a wall of bureaucracy and went through a lengthy, frustrating, and expensive process to bring them into the country.

After applying for the family's visas on Sunday, March 20, Charlotte believed that her property would be satisfactory.

She was later informed that the property "did not meet minimum housing requirements" as it only had one gas fire to heat the whole property.

The terrace house also failed its minimum energy efficiency requirements and had no Energy Performance Certificate.

This meant that the mum-of-one had to fork out for a brand new central heating system which "forced [her] into debt".

St Helens has shown support for Ukrainian refugees but the resettlement scheme was exhausting for Charlotte

Charlotte, 41, said: "The property is a two-bed terrace house of sentimental value, rather than to rent out.

"It is in good condition but we were told it's not good enough and not up to the correct standards.

"I couldn't afford a new central heating system but morally I couldn't go back to these women and tell them I couldn't offer them safety anymore, and they wouldn't leave Ukraine until they were absolutely sure it was safe."

While liaising with the council and waiting on information about the visa applications, Charlotte said she contacted her MP Marie Rimmer "numerous times" to try and speed the process up.

Despite her best efforts trying to help the family flee from war, Charlotte said she was left feeling "extremely ignored" while the trio was in "life or death situations".

Ukrainian cities have been devastated by the Russian invasion (Pic: PA)

Charlotte said: "Although Marie Rimmer associated herself with promises of support to Ukraine and its nationals, I was repeatedly ignored both by email and various social media platforms.

"I was constantly checking to see where the Visa processes were up to but had little response."

Frustrated at the lack of progress, Charlotte eventually submitted a formal complaint to the Home Office about the length of time the visa application was taking.

Not long afterward, the visas were granted and the Ukrainian family arrived at Manchester Airport on Monday, May 16.

St Helens South & Whiston MP Marie Rimmer (Image: St Helens Star)

St Helens South & Whiston MP Marie Rimmer said that her office contacted the Home Office on Sunday, April 8, to find out the latest on Charlotte's visa applications.

Her office is said to have only got a response on Tuesday, May 17 - a day after the Ukrainian family had already arrived in the UK as their visas were approved on Saturday, May 7. 

Commending Charlotte for her "selfless efforts" to open her home to Ukrainian refugees, Marie Rimmer said: 

“The Home Office is notoriously the slowest department and there are many constituents that are awaiting responses for them on a range of issues, from visas for refugees to passport delays.

"It is a Government department that needs fixing as it cannot carry on this way."

Charlotte and her daughter at the Dream in Sutton Manor

With Lina, Olena, and Nikita now safe and settled in St Helens, Charlotte said she checks in on the family on a daily basis to help them in whatever way she can.

Describing the eight-week application process as a "horrific experience", Charlotte stressed that it should not have to be so difficult to help people fleeing the atrocities of war, who could have died in the time it took to finalise the paperwork.