A teenage Ukrainian refugee who fought a visa battle in opposition to the UK Authorities has lastly made it to Scotland.
Nataliia Zavhorodnia arrived at her new dwelling in Hamilton, Lanarkshire late yesterday morning after greater than two months of attempting.
The 15-year-old was in limbo as a result of she fled Ukraine together with her aunt and never her dad and mom - which means she was classed as an unaccompanied youngster who're ineligible for visas.
However after campaigning by her host household - highlighted by the Sunday Mail - her visa was authorised and he or she made it to Scotland through Paris and London.
Nataliia and her aunt, Millena Kornieieva, 34, spent yesterday settling in on the dwelling of Kate and Martin Fuller the place neighbours had been welcoming them with Ukraine flags.
Kate, 40, stated: “We’re so blissful they’re each lastly right here.
“They’re settling in nice and beginning their Scottish journey now.
“The women are each simply so grateful for all the pieces that everybody has executed for them.
“Nataliia’s mum is absolutely blissful that’s she’s now secure.”
The Sunday Mail revealed final month how Nataliia discovered herself within the odd state of affairs the place journey to the UK for her two pet guinea pigs had been authorised however her visaapplication was rejected by the House Workplace.
Her aunt’s visa had been authorised right away.
The case had been taken up by Kate’s native MP Margaret Ferrier who raised it with ministers in Westminster and described Nataliia’s determined plight within the Home of Commons.
It went down the wire however final week the visa was lastly authorised personally by the Minister for Refugees, Lord Harrington, in a transfer that’s hoped might pave the best way for different kids in the identical state of affairs.
Nataliia’s mum Hanna wished her to go away their dwelling in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv together with her aunt over fears of assaults on younger ladies by invading Russian troopers.
Her mum has stayed to take care of Nataliia’s wee brother Sasha, 9, whereas her dad Oleksii helps with the battle which has being gone on for the reason that finish of February.
After her visa was authorised Nataliia penned a letter to everybody who had helped her.
It stated: “I need to thanks all a lot for serving to me to get the visa. It means a lot to me and my household.
“I already began giving up and thought that it will not be authorised so I used to be attempting to get able to go dwelling and tried to organize myself for this problem.
“I'm really amazed and grateful to all of you.. thanks a lot for saving me.”
Rejecting the visa would have left Nataliia going through a return to Ukraine or going right into a refugee camp.
She’s come to the UK below the favored Properties for Ukraine scheme and was matched as much as Kate and Martin through a Ukrainian refugee Fb group.