More visas have been approved for Ukrainian refugees to stay with sponsors in Northumberland under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, according to new figures.

The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, also known as Homes for Ukraine, allows citizens to volunteer to house refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Home Office data shows as of Tuesday (April 26), the number of visas issued for sponsors based in Northumberland stood at 205 – up from 25 as of April 6, when local figures on the scheme were first published. 

But the number of Ukrainians that have come to the UK through the scheme remains low, with the latest national figures showing just 11,100 had arrived by April 25.

Some warn that delays in processing are impacting the number of refugees able to arrive in the UK, with reports of families unable to travel due to individual members not having visas granted.

Stephen Kinnock, shadow minister for immigration, said it was “truly inspiring” to see so many British households open their doors to fleeing refugees. But he also criticised the UK Government’s handling of the scheme, saying issues with processing visas had created a “bureaucratic nightmare.”