A GROUP of Ukrainian orphans evacuated from their war-torn country by a Scottish charity were last night on their way from Poland.
The youngsters, who were taken out of Ukraine and into Poland by the Dnipro Kids organisation, were given the green light to travel to Britain after a delay earlier in the week due to issues with paperwork.
The Virgin plane yesterday delivered humanitarian supplies before boarding the children for the flight to Heathrow.
Before the plane left Heathrow Airport for the originally planned trip on Monday, a form that should have been sent by the Ukrainian government to the Polish Ministry of Family and Social Policy, needed to release the group, was not sent in time.
The flight from Warsaw to London, before onward transfer to Scotland, with the 52 orphans from Dnipro is in the air. Well done to @DniproKids and all those who have made this happen.
— Ian Blackford 🇺🇦🏴 (@Ianblackford_MP) March 23, 2022
The Home Office said delays took place due to problems authorising the backgrounds of the children, who do not have family members to act on their behalf.
Dnipro Kids was formed by supporters of Edinburgh’s Hibernian FC, with organisers now working with Stirling Council, who will accommodate the children at a facility in Callander after they arrive in the UK.
Robert Brown from the charity said both it and Stirling Council were “committed to giving the children a wonderful time so that they can escape the trauma of what they’ve been through, and we can turn their experience into an adventure they’ll remember for the rest of their lives”.
It is expected the youngsters will spend a number of weeks in Callander before moving to Edinburgh.
The council said that, with the agreement of the charity, no photo-calls or interviews would be supporters, and asked for the location of the children's accommodation to be kept private.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tweeted yesterday: “Offering the @DniproKids sanctuary in Scotland has understandably involved a lot of paperwork and planning. This is important and necessary when children with a range of needs are moving to a new country ...
"The kindness, generosity and solidarity shown to the children from the public and organisations keen to help has been overwhelming, and the children and charity know your thoughts are with them.
“I hope everyone will understand the children now need time and peace to settle into new surroundings, and a new country, and find stability and security.”
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