THE UK Home Office must urgently explain its official position after a Tory minister said Ukrainians fleeing war could "not least" apply to pick fruit on British farms, the First Minister has said.

Nicola Sturgeon spoke out after Kevin Foster, the Conservative “Minister for Safe Migration” said the UK’s seasonal worker scheme was open to applications from Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

Foster, the Tory MP for Torbay, was labelled “crass” for suggesting that refugees could apply for such a work visa - which would only allow them to enter the UK for six months, and comes with other caveats such as needing “at least £1270” in the bank.

He wrote: “There are a number of routes, not least our seasonal worker scheme … which Ukrainians can qualify for, alongside the family route for those with relatives here.”

Responding to Foster’s now-deleted tweet, the First Minister called on the Home Office to outline its official position.

Sturgeon wrote: “I hope we get clarity asap @pritipatel that this is not @ukhomeoffice position.

“Migrant seasonal workers make a valued contribution to our economy - but this is not the route to the UK that we should expect those seeking refuge from war to rely on. #StandWithUkraine”

SNP minister Richard Lochhead branded Foster “an utter embarrassment”, while Scottish Refugee Council CEO Sabir Zazai wrote: “A pathetic response by Kevin, who I know from my days in Coventry. He was a councillor and I was an asylum seeker. I would expect him to at least understand and appreciate the horrors people are fleeing.

“People fleeing wars aren't on a jolly, Kevin!”

It came after Home Secretary Priti Patel claimed it was “appalling misinformation” to say that the UK Government was “still applying normal visa restrictions to those fleeing Ukraine” - despite it being true for everyone except those with British family or who already have a UK visa.

In a Twitter dispute with Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, Patel was told: “Your own link [to the UK Government’ website] proves you wrong.

“Ukrainians without family ties to the UK have to get to a nearby country and go through a normal route. And even people applying under the close family route still have to meet conditions including on salaries and language.”

The top Tory responded: “David, Russia has invaded Ukraine. Of course the visa application centre in Kiev has closed. It is to keep staff and applicants safe. Our brilliant teams are working around the clock to process visas in several other - and safe - visa application centres nearby.”

The pressure for the UK Government to introduce a safe visa scheme for Ukrainians is growing, with calls coming from Sturgeon as well as Labour and former Tory cabinet members including George Osborne and Rory Stewart (below).

The National: Rory Stewart

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our priority remains supporting British Nationals who are resident in Ukraine and their dependents who want to leave the country. We are working around the clock to process visa applications and are processing many applications in a matter of hours.

“The main Visa Application Centre in Kyiv has closed following the Russian Invasion but our centre in Lviv remains open for family members of British Nationals resident in Ukraine, and we have surged staff to the centres in nearby countries, including Poland, Moldova, Romania and Hungary.

“Ukrainian nationals are able to apply for visas from these centres and we have announced concessions for Ukrainians currently in the UK, to extend or switch their visa.

“We are working with other European countries to ensure that responses to any migration issues are practical and in the best interests of the Ukrainian people.”