A DORSET resident has praised Bournemouth Airport for the warm welcome they gave her Ukrainian guest when she arrived in the UK.

Jane Schillig went to pick up her guest from Ukraine, who she has known for nearly 30 years, on Saturday morning and found that she was overwhelmed with the supportive atmosphere at the airport.

Jane said: “On Saturday, I collected a Ukrainian guest from Bournemouth Airport.

"She was overwhelmed by the wonderful welcome she received. She said, normally, when you go through passport control you hand your passport over, they shove a stamp on it and it's on your way as quickly as possible.

"But she said they were just very, very friendly and warm and welcoming. There were Ukrainian flags at each immigration officers' desk, welcoming posters around the walls, and most importantly, friendly, smiling, kind people to deal with her. What an excellent, comforting first impression she received.

"Credit where credit's due and I think with everything that's happening in the world, it’s really nice that people make the special effort and it's really, really touching. They're doing a good job."

Steve Gill, managing director of Bournemouth Airport, said: "Many people arriving in the UK from Ukraine may have had recent traumatic experiences so the least we can do is make them feel welcome when they arrive. Our team is working closely with colleagues in Border Force to make their arrival as comfortable as possible and we're delighted that this lady's first impression of the UK was such a comforting one."

This comes as new figures show that more visas have been approved for Ukrainian refugees to stay with sponsors in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, also known as Homes for Ukraine, allows citizens to volunteer to house refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Sponsors agree to offer accommodation for at least six months, with those receiving sponsorship allowed to live, work and study in the UK for up to three years.

Home Office data shows as of Tuesday April 26, the number of visas issued for sponsors based in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole stood at 295, up from 84 as of April 6, when local figures on the scheme were first published.