Ukrainian man living in Corby pleads for mother's safe escape from Russian invasion
A Ukrainian man living in Britain is pleading with the government to allow his mother to seek sanctuary in the UK.
Eugene Moroi, who lived in the port city of Odessa in southern Ukraine, wants to ensure his mother Yulia is “safe with me”.
He told ITV News Anglia: “We are not asking [the government] to give us some benefits. I am able to earn money to cover my needs and my mum's needs.
"I just want to be with her and be sure she is safe with me.”
The government has U-turned on its visa scheme for Ukrainian refugees, allowing those with immediate family in the UK to remain for three years, following pressure from campaigners about the one year time limit previously announced.
Under the scheme, any Ukrainian with parents, grandparents, children - even those over 18 - and siblings already in the UK will be allowed to seek sanctuary there for up to three years.
But the UK's scheme still does not match the EU's, with the bloc waiving visa rules for all Ukrainians entirely, meaning an unlimited amount will be allowed to live there for up to three years - without having to apply for asylum first.
The 28-year-old, who lives in Corby in Northamptonshire, was in Ukraine visiting family and friends when the invasion began.
Mr Moroi was travelling to the airport as the airspace was closed.
“It was just horrible chaos around, you want to run but you don’t know where to run” he said.
He managed to leave the country with his mother and arrived in Poland safely, but she could not leave as her documents were still being checked by officials.
“We don’t say good morning in Ukraine. We ask each other 'how are you? Is it safe? Did they bomb your city again?'
“Every hour, every minute, every second I am still thinking about what has happened there. Of my country, to my city, to all the cities in Ukraine. Of Ukrainian people who are innocent, who didn’t deserve to die, for what, no reason?”
Mr Moroi spoke at a vigil in Corby to support those caught in the conflict and said seeing the support of others meant the “world”.
“When I see we are not alone, we’ve got support here even in the UK, even in such a small town like Corby, this is for me, this is for me all the world for me," he said.
Peter Bone, Conservative MP for nearby Wellingborough, was in the audience of the vigil. Mr Bone said he wanted to help anyone in his constituency with a relative in the country.
“Anyone in Wellingborough who has a relative over there who needs help, contact me," he told ITV News Anglia. "We have a fast-track approach, we can get straight to the Home Office and we can get people into this country."