The National:

IT's safe to say the UK Government hasn't done anywhere near enough to help Ukrainian refugees.

They have no plans to scrap the draconian Nationality and Borders Bill, which would criminalise any refugees – including Ukrainians fleeing for safety – who arrive in the UK outwith official resettlement schemes.

And now it has been revealed that Ireland has already welcomed more than 2000 Ukrainians who are permitted under EU measures to enter visa-free, and to stay for up to three years.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s administration came under fire earlier this week when it was revealed that only 50 visa applications had been accepted. That figure had risen to 760 by Wednesday morning, though there were still reports of chaos and confusion at Home Office application centres in France and Poland.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon attacks 'shameful' Tory response to Ukrainian refugee crisis

Despite all this, a Tory minister has claimed: "No country has given more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine than the United Kingdom."

Grant Shapps was asked on Sky News: "I mean, you've seen the numbers, Mr Shapps, you've seen that some 500 visas have been accepted, 500 visas accepted no idea how many Ukrainians have actually come here. It's shameful, isn't it, the way that the UK has held handled this refugee crisis in Europe?"

Shapps responded: "And 760 granted, now to 22,000 applications which are on their way through. I don't agree with you. No country has given more humanitarian assistance to Ukraine than the United Kingdom, in the world. We've given £400 million. In addition, the British people have been incredibly generous as well.

"Geographically, we are of course, spaced further to the west and President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and the Ukrainian government have told me that they do not want people to move far away, if at all possible because they want people to be able to come back.

"Having said that, we have two schemes, one of which allows up to 200,000 Ukrainians here, that's the extended family scheme and it does extend to all parts of somebody's family, aunts and uncles and that sort of thing.

"And then, of course, we've also announced a sponsorship route, again for those people without family ties and unlimited. So we are really leaning into this, at the same time respecting Ukraine's wishes, the government's wishes, not to pull people a long way away from Ukraine, which is not something that they want to see happen.

"But as ever showing you the British generosity, particularly in humanitarian support, as the largest donor nation."

READ MORE: Boris Johnson stuns MPs with boast about welcoming refugees

The presenter pointed out that Tory ministers came under fire on Tuesday after it emerged that families in Calais, France, were being turned away by UK Border Force agents due to a lack of paperwork and have been told they must travel more than 100 miles to Paris or Brussels to get a visa.

There was further confusion after Priti Patel told MPs that a visa centre “en route” to Calais had been set up. The Home Secretary later clarified these comments and said a centre would be set up in Lille – nearly 72 miles from Calais.

The Sky News presenter said: "Absolutely right. Lots of money's been given and a lot of people are giving up things for Ukrainians, but the geographical thing doesn't quite work when Ireland's taken some 2000 people and people in Calais are stuck at the border unable to come in?"

Shapps said: "I think he's right [Boris Johnson] that people would expect us to be wanting to check people's status before they come in. We know that Russia are involved in all sorts of all manner of operations. So it's absolutely right to check that somebody come from Ukraine and know who is coming to this country."

But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government should start issuing emergency visas rather than requiring people to deal with lengthy bureaucracy.

“Offer emergency visas that can be issued really swiftly, rather than people having to fill in these 14-page forms or rather than having to upload documents,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“It just beggars belief that people are being asked to do this when they have fled a war zone, when they have had to leave everything behind, when they have been risking life and limb, in the face of Russian bombardment.

“People shouldn’t be treated like this.”

The National:

Shapps also defended the decision to site a new visa processing centre in northern France in Lille rather than in Calais, where many of the refugees hoping to reach the UK have been heading.

“We do not want to see this mixed up with the wider issue of people traffickers and criminal gangs in Calais, so we don’t want to attract people to Calais without having the paperwork resolved in the first place before they get there,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

It comes as Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, told MPs that Kyiv would like to see visa requirements for fleeing Ukrainians dropped amid criticism that the Home Office has been slow in providing sanctuary to those escaping the invasion.

READ MORE: Ukrainian ambassador says wife experienced ‘bureaucratic hassle’ when applying for UK visa

He said at least 100,000 people could try to reunite with relatives in the UK via the Ukraine Family Scheme, but criticised the process for approving new arrivals.

With around 50,000 to 60,000 Ukrainians said to be in Britain, Prystaiko said he expects 100,000 of their relatives to try to join them.

However, the ambassador appeared unaware that some Ukrainians working in the UK will not be eligible to bring relatives over as they do not have indefinite leave to remain.