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A Foreign Office minister has denied the UK is to offer Ukrainian refugees a new humanitarian-based route to the country, as he confirmed that it was possible only 50 people have been granted visas so far.

James Cleverly, the minister for Europe and America, said the figures for refugees processed “will move very, very quickly”, but said it was taking time because there were procedures that needed to be followed.

So far the UK has only been accepting those of the 1.3 million-plus Ukrainians to have fled the country since Russia invaded if they have family connections in the UK. On Monday, the Sun quoted Priti Patel, the home secretary, as saying she was “investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian route”.