Afghan family reunion route opens three years after Taliban takeover evacuation

A long-awaited reunion route has opened for families separated during the evacuation of Afghanistan almost three years ago amid the Taliban takeover.

People who were able to escape to the UK under legal routes previously set up by the government can now apply for their partners and children to join them, the Government said.

Children who were evacuated without their parents can also apply for them and any siblings who were under the age of 18 at the time of the evacuation to be reunited with them in the UK, the Home Office added.

The department said additional family members may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

The Refugee Council said the development is “hugely welcome” and will be “life-changing” for children and parents who had been separated for such a long period.

The pledge had been made under the previous Conservative government – following the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021 – and Labour said it is now “implementing that commitment”.

In a written statement published on Tuesday, immigration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra, said: “Due to the speed and the circumstances surrounding the evacuation, a number of families became separated, and some individuals were evacuated to the UK without all of their immediate family.

“The Government pledged at the time that there would be a route for separated families to reunite under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

The minister said there was an “urgent need” for reunification, adding: “Afghans did right by us, and we will do right by them, ensuring our system is fair and supports those most-at risk and vulnerable.”

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) separated families route opened on Tuesday July 30 and the Government said the window to submit an expression of interest will remain open for three months, until October 30.

The overall ACRS formally opened in January 2022, with a Government pledge to resettle up to 20,000 people “over the coming years”.

The latest figures, published in May, showed that almost as many Afghan nationals arrived in the UK having made the dangerous Channel crossing as through the Government’s legal routes in the year to March.

A total of 5,662 Afghan nationals came to the UK having crossed the Channel in that period, plus 350 of what the Home Office described as inadequately documented air arrivals, making a total of 6,012 people.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “This a hugely welcome announcement. Over the last three years we’ve worked with many families who were torn apart in the chaos of evacuating Kabul. They will now have a way to be safely together again thanks to the swift action that has been taken by the Government.

“For the children who have been apart from their parents for far too long, we know this will be life-changing. We look forward to working with the Government to ensure they are now reunited with their loved ones as quickly as possible.”

The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, separate from ACRS, was put in place for Afghans who had worked with the UK government, and their families, prior to the Taliban takeover.

While the charity Safe Passage welcomed the opening of the family reunion route, it said the ACRS and Arap schemes have been “too slow, restrictive and currently have too few places”.

Gunes Kalkan, head of campaigns, said: “The Government must fix the Afghan schemes to deliver on promises made to offer safety to those fearing persecution.”

The Work Rights Centre, a charity which supports migrants, described the development regarding the Afghan scheme as “promising” in the context of more safe routes for separated families.

The organisation, which works with people who have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, said: “We hope that a review of the Ukraine visa schemes, established for those fleeing the war in Ukraine, is next.

“The last government drastically changed the eligibility of the Homes for Ukraine scheme last February, leaving Ukrainians stranded in a war zone, families separated, and those in the UK feeling powerless. All families deserve to seek safety together.”