Almost 600 visas granted for Ukrainian refugees in Northern Ireland under Government scheme

• Video report by UTV south west reporter Sara O'Kane

Almost 600 visas have been granted for Ukrainian refugees in Northern Ireland.

Latest figures show that 598 visas have been issued to applicants being sponsored by Northern Ireland residents under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The total number of refugees in Northern Ireland is not known however as others may have arrived outside of the Government's scheme.

It's understood as many as 500 refugees could be in the region, according to those working on the ground with families fleeing the war.

A spokesperson for the Executive Office said: “Detailed data is not available on the numbers of Ukrainians in Northern Ireland at this stage.

"This is due to a number of complex and evolving factors including the requirement that refugees make their own arrangements for travel.

"The Executive Office is working at pace with a wide range of partners including statutory agencies and the community and voluntary sector to ensure readiness to provide sanctuary to those who come here."

They added: "Over the past two weeks we have helped around 240 Ukrainian people at the Assistance Centres."