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.
A Home Office spokesperson said the schemes are “primarily for Ukrainian nationals.” They added that third-country nationals can only qualify if they apply as part of a family group that includes an immediate Ukrainian relative and that all applications must be submitted together.
Meanwhile, a new analysis from the Conservative Party warns that nearly four in ten newly built homes in the UK by 2030 may be required to accommodate incoming migrants. Drawing on projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the report estimates that net migration between 2026 and 2030 will reach almost 1.2 million people, creating demand for roughly 500,000 additional homes.
