Classic Collection's Si Morris-Green highlights refugee visa stalemate

Morris-Green offered to host Niyara Mamontova and her seven-year-old daughter Eleanora in Hampshire, but the pair are stuck in Voorburg in the Netherlands.

Mamontova said she had completed the necessary UK visa forms on 15 March but was told a week later separate documents were needed for each of them.

“I must say there are many families hiding in basements in Kiev waiting for a decision on their visas. They’re hiding there and the Russians are shelling our cities,” she said.

“I don’t understand why it’s so long. I keep checking my email every minute waiting for a visa to be approved.”

The UK government is checking applicants to ensure their identity. Morris-Green, Classic Collection’s director of agency sales and marketing, said: “I think it’s all set up with a bit of false hope. Eleven days ago, I was watching the news and Michael Gove said people would be arriving from next Sunday; we’re not saying checks shouldn’t be done… we’re just saying there’s a lot of red tape, the forms aren’t even in Ukrainian, they’re in English.”

Morris-Green said he had spoken to a family of five who had taken 10 hours to complete their application because they did not speak English. 

He said he had met Niyara and Eleanora on a Facebook group.

“We are really [looking forward to] welcoming Niyara and Eleanora into our house, our children are ready for it as well, it feels like we know them already.

“Every time I ring Niyara I say: ‘You’ll get your visa today.’ Every time I ring the visa office, there’s not even a tracking process to understand where they are in the queue or how long it’s going to take.”

Mamontova said she had received an email after completing an application but nothing since.

“We are just waiting,” she said, adding Morris-Green was keeping up the pressure. “He does so much for us, thank you, Si.” 

She added: “We understand it’s very difficult to check all the forms because many families are fleeing Ukraine. I’m really thankful to everyone supporting us.”