PRITI PATEL was told yesterday to step up support for Ukrainian refugees or resign, as anger over the government’s “disgraceful” response to the crisis boiled over in the Commons.

Tory MP Sir Roger Gale accused the Home Secretary of “misleading” Parliament after she twice claimed falsely on Monday that the Home Office had set up a visa application centre on the way to Calais.

Sir Roger told MPs that “under any normal administration, that in itself would be a resignation [issue].”

Ms Patel backtracked later in the debate, saying a centre was due to be set up en route to the French port city.

Home Office Minister Kevin Foster told MPs yesterday that the department was setting up a new centre in Lille where refugees could have their visa applications processed. 

This follows Ukrainian refugees stuck in Calais being directed to Brussels and Paris to apply for visas. 

Mr Foster said that 500 visas had now been issued to Ukrainians under the family visa scheme as of yesterday afternoon, up from 300 the previous day.

There has been widespread condemnation of the slow pace of Britain’s response to the crisis while countries bordering Ukraine have taken in over one million refugees from the war. 

Rejecting calls for a visa waiver, Mr Foster told MPs that the government “will not take chances with the security of this country and our people,” claiming immigration officers in Calais had seen people pretending to be Ukrainian nationals present fake documents. 

But signalling growing frustration in the Tory ranks over the issue, former minister Damian Green said that he did not understand why biometric checks could not be done when refugees arrive in Britain, as is the policy in European Union states including Ireland. 

SNP international development spokesperson Chris Law also attacked the government over reports that it had protested against Dublin’s decision to relax visa rules, with ministers claiming that this created a security risk to Britain. 

“Does the Foreign Secretary [Liz Truss] realise that the Home Office’s continued xenophobic and inhumane immigration policy must be for her and her office a complete humiliation as it undermines the support for Ukraine’s people?” he asked. 

“Will she now call on her colleague the Home Secretary either to reverse this policy or to resign?”

Labour shadow Foreign Office minister Catherine West accused the government of a “shameful lack of humanity,” while Labour MP Janet Daby said she was disgusted by the “lack of urgency and compassion” shown by the Home Office towards those fleeing the war.