Lord Dubs says 'we as a country can do better' concerning the Ukraine crisis
Lord Dubs has said "we as a country can do better" regarding the Ukraine refugee crisis.
He believes that more needs to be done to help those fleeing Ukraine, with the government systems needing to be sped up to get those to safety in Britain.
He said: "We don't have to treat people as badly as we're doing. We don't have to say to them if they've got to Calais, go back to Brussels where the office is open three and a half days a week only or go to Paris.
"We can deal with this in a better, more sensitive way."
Lord Dubs came to Britain as a refugee during World War Two in 1939.
He was part of the "kindertransport" which evacuated thousands of Jewish children from Nazi occupied Europe to the UK.
He then went on to become a Labour MP and he now sits in the House of Lords and lives in the Lake District.
The government has been criticised over the last two weeks after small numbers of Ukrainians have been allowed to come to Britain when other European countries are accepting hundreds of thousands.
In the House of Commons today Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that from Tuesday Ukrainian passport holders won't need to go to a Visa Application Centre to give their biometrics before they come here.
But some think this still isn't enough.
Lord Dubs said: "The fact is the government aren't in control of this, the home office is not fit for purpose and it is a disgrace and we as a country can do better in terms of efficiency and in terms in all of humanity."
The Home Office have expanded their visa application centre appointment capacity to 13,000 a week, with a 24/7 helpline in place and deployed additional staff across the EU to help those who are particularly vulnerable.
A government spokesperson said: “We are standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians which is why we’ve made it easier for those with Ukrainian passports to come here. This is alongside changes to visas to ensure Ukrainians in the UK can stay here.
"We have expanded our Visa Application Capacity to 13,000 a week, deployed additional staff across the EU, with a 24/7 helpline in place to ensure those who need appointments can get them to come here. This allows us to balance security risks while welcoming those in need.
"A new sponsorship route, which will allow Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come here is also being brought forward and all the measures we’ve put in place follow extensive engagement with Ukrainian partners. We will keep our support under constant review."