UK Ukrainian Visa Scheme Used by Thousands of Non-Ukrainian Migrants
12th April 2026
Thousands of migrants from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have entered the United Kingdom under a visa scheme originally designed to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing from the war.
According to Home Office data analysed by The Telegraph, nearly 3,500 visas have been granted to people from 112 countries, including Iran, Iraq, India, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and the Palestinian territories.
The figures relate to two UK programmes created to allow Ukrainians to enter Britain either through family connections or through sponsorship under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
In total, non-Ukrainians account for almost one in every 80 of the 279,223 visas issued under the Ukrainian visa routes. Russians represent the largest group among these applicants, with 588 individuals granted entry, followed by Nigerians, Afghans, Iraqis, Moldovans, Turks, Indians, Belarusians, Iranians, and Egyptians. Smaller numbers were also recorded from countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.