The Ukrainian refugee family split in two by British immigration officials in Calais: Father was sent BACK to Paris while his wife and daughter boarded ferry amid fury at visa shambles
- Edward Zarbubaiko, 42 arrived in Calais last Friday after escaping Ukraine
- He was accompanied by his wife; daughter, 18, and his two sons, aged 8 and 15
- As they attempted to board ferry, he was told that family would have to split up
- Mr Zarbubaiko is one of 130 Ukrainian refugees staying at youth hostel in Calais
A Ukrainian man has revealed how his family was forced to separate by heartless British immigration officials who prevented him and his sons from boarding a ferry for the UK, just days after they fled their warn torn country.
Edward Zarbubaiko, 42 arrived in Calais last Friday after escaping Ukraine and undertaking a gruelling three-day drive to get to Calais, hoping to reach the safety of Britain. He was accompanied by his wife Halyna; daughter Karina, 18 and his two sons; Artem, 8 and Sviatsolav, 15.
The family used to live in Britain when Mr Zarbubaiko’s wife and daughter secured the right of residency, but he and his two sons did not. They all returned to live in the city of Chernivtsy last year.
As they attempted to board a ferry last week at Calais port, Mr Zarbubaiko was told that the family would have to split up and that he would have to go to Paris to secure visas for him and his sons but his wife and daughter would be allowed to continue their journey to Britain.
Edward Zarbubaiko, 42 (left) arrived in Calais last Friday after escaping Ukraine and undertaking a gruelling three-day drive to get to Calais, hoping to reach the safety of Britain. He was accompanied by his wife Halyna; daughter Karina, 18 and his two sons; Artem, 8 (centre) and Sviatsolav, 15 (right)
He told MailOnline: ‘It was heart breaking waving goodbye to my wife and daughter while I’ve had to stay behind with my sons. I thought that having lived in Britain and with some of the family granted residency last year, the British would welcome us. I wasn’t expecting to be treated so harshly and turned away like a criminal.
‘The British immigration officials said to me that I would have to go to the embassy in Paris, apply for visas and then wait to see if I’ve got them. We’ve gone through enough pain and this is just adding to the stress and misery.’
Mr Zarbubaiko is one of 130 Ukrainian refugees staying at a youth hostel in Calais who are waiting to travel to the UK.
He added: ‘There are whole families, young people and old and everybody is really worried about what might happen. We are all living a nightmare which has been made worse because we don’t have the legal documentation to travel. You would have thought that the British Government might have speeded things up to help us.’
He revealed that he made the three-hour journey to Paris with his sons on Tuesday where they applied for British visas but will not know if they have received them for another week.
The Ukranians at the youth hostel are being helped by their compatriots who were already in Calais but intend to stay in France.
The Ukranians at the youth hostel (pictured) are being helped by their compatriots who were already in Calais but instend to stay in France
The refugee advice desk at the port of Calais, France, where Ukrainian refugees can speak to UK border representatives
Ilona Puhach, 34 who fled Ukraine last week with her daughter Melania, 7 told MailOnline: ‘I have friends in Calais so plan to stay here but I’ve been helping to translate because many of the Ukrainians in the youth hostel don’t speaking any English.
‘We have all been through a lot and many of those who want to travel to Britain are suffering because they have been left in limbo. Fortunately, I am not one of them because I’m staying in France and we’ve not had any problems with the Government of this country.’
Ms Puchach revealed that she is from the city of Vasylkiv, which is about 10 miles from Kyiv and has been severely hit by Russian bombing.
She said: ‘My daughter is still scared even though we are now in France. She keeps looking up at the sky and asking: ‘mummy, is that a bomb?’
‘It was an horrendous journey for us to get here and took almost two days. People are really suffering and it’s not right that they are getting caught up in bureaucratic issues.’
A British government notice on a welcome desk at the ferry terminal in Calais, France, as Ukrainian refugees arrive at the site in a bid to cross to the UK
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