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Viktoria Koval, 17, who lives near Kyiv, has been offered a home with a family friend and church minister in Devon.

The law student stayed with Rev Jenny Kilgour at her home near Exeter on language exchange visits and Rev Kilgour now wants to offer Viktoria a safe haven.

The youngster has spent months chasing all the relevant paperwork. But even though she has the written consent of her mother and father – who are unable to come with her -Viktoria is barred from the Homes for Ukraine scheme because she is not 18 and would not be coming here to reunite with a parent or legal guardian.

In desperation, Viktoria wrote her letter to the PM, telling him: “Being in danger has become normal but I still feel frightened every time the sirens sound knowing that explosions will follow.

“When the missiles struck near my city on 4th March my parents made the really difficult decision to send me to a safer place. I have visited the UK before and stayed with a family in Cullompton, Devon, and we became close. They are like my family. But trying to get to safety has been blocked at every turn.”

She pleads: “We know from our history lessons how the UK helped so many refugees escape on the kinder transport during World War II and many thousands of children under 17 were allowed into the UK. Many would not have survived the war if it had not been for the generosity of the people of the UK.”

The letter concludes: “I am so very sad. I just want to feel safe. Please help me and others like me.”

“Last week Clive Betts, who chairs the Westminster Levelling Up committee which scrutinises how the UK is supporting Ukrainian refugees, said he hoped the Home Ofice will help people such as Viktoria who are in “dire circumstances” but have “a loving home to come to”.

He said: “If something is going to go wrong, the Home Office is probably behind it. Even we struggle to get through to them.”

A UK Government spokesman told the Sunday Express: “Due to safeguarding concerns, unaccompanied minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reuniting with a parent or legal guardian in the UK.

There are no plans to make those trying to sponsor unaccompanied children ‘guardians’.”

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