The Tories MP for Newark received 40-year-old Maria and her two children Christina, 11, and Boden, 15, earlier this week and is considered to be the first MP to accept refugees under the Homes for Ukraine program. Johnson, Troyz expelled from Russia – live updates on Ukraine war Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:28 Ukrainian families disappointed with government plan The former cabinet minister, who lives with his wife and three children, criticized the plan and said it could have been simplified. “I think the process was too bureaucratic and I think the Home Office often falls into that trap,” he told the Daily Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast. “There were simple things we could and should have done from the beginning, such as having the uniform in Ukrainian, for example.” Speaking about the visa process, he added: “We have to tell the truth that it was an abnormal start to the system. It took a long time to get a visa, it took us about three weeks to get all three visas approved.” Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Mr Jenrick added that the father of the family had remained in Ukraine to support the war effort and that the process had taken about three weeks to obtain the three visas required. The Homes for Ukraine program, which opened on March 18, allows the British to host Ukrainian refugees, even if they have no previous ties to the United Kingdom. Anyone who has a room or house available for at least six months can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or family, with the hosts checked and the Ukrainian refugees subjected to security checks. Read more: “Sampolic” bureaucracy that prevents refugees from coming to the UK Government figures show that as of Wednesday, 25,100 visas had been issued under the scheme, out of 55,600 applications. However, only 12.7% of visa holders have arrived in the United Kingdom. The plan has been criticized for slow development, which has also led to an apology from Home Secretary Priti Patel. The UN refugee agency also expressed concerns about the risks to women in the program, adding that it was aware of the “growing” reports of refugee women being threatened by male sponsors. More than 200,000 people in Britain have applied to host refugees under the program.