New Delhi: The UK government has decided to unite Afghan families separated during the evacuation from Kabul in August 2021. This includes children and spouses or partners who were unable to travel with their immediate family members.
Under the new scheme, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), the government has said it will allow Afghans living in the UK to submit a referral for their family members to be relocated to the UK. This includes children under the age of 18 and spouses or partners. Those who were separated from their parents during the evacuation can also request to have their parents sent to the UK. The government has also said it will consider additional family members in ‘exceptional circumstances’.
The government has also said that Afghans who were evacuated from Kabul will be able to submit a referral for their family members via an online form. This will be available from 30 July. The window for referrals will remain open for three months until 30 October 2024. The government has said it will ‘consider additional family members in exceptional circumstances’. Immigration and Citizenship Minister Seema Malhotra said, “It’s been almost three years since the evacuation of Kabul, and yet there remains an urgent need to ensure that those who assisted our efforts in Afghanistan by upholding democracy, freedom and human rights, often at huge personal risk to themselves and their families can be reunited.”
She added, “It is our moral duty to ensure that families who were tragically separated are reunited and are not left at the mercy of the Taliban, which is why I have expanded ACRS so that those who were left behind can be resettled in the UK. 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.”
Under this scheme, the government has also said that Afghans living in the UK will need to attend a visa application centre to submit their biometrics and travel documents before their visa can be issued by the UK government. This means that the process of reuniting with family members will also require a visa process.