As the news from Ukraine gets grimmer by the hour we have had a number of opportunities in Parliament to debate both sanctions and the humanitarian response from the UK.
It is fair to say as a former Immigration Minister I might have some idea of the complexities and challenges of a swift and effective programme to aid refugees. But that does not mean we should not swing into full action as quickly as possible. Of course we must. I pointed out to the Home Secretary that very often the language used is one of "burden sharing". I reject that term, it is a privilege to be able to help and we should put in place a scheme we can be proud of.
I have today suggested to Ministers and the University sector that we need to have an equivalent of a 21st century kinder transport. Male university students have been conscripted to the Ukrainian army, but the girls have not. And rather than leave them in refugee camps on the border we should convince our universities to find places and accommodation for them as part of the humanitarian sponsorship scheme. That way they could be able to continue their studies and be best placed to help rebuild Ukraine after this appalling invasion. As International Women's Day 2022 approaches we can help the future of this brave country, and we should do so.
