What is Family Reunion? 

Refugee family reunion is the legal process by which a refugee (or person with humanitarian protection) can be reunited with their pre-flight dependent family members.

When an individual is granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK, the Home Office will normally grant their dependents in the UK ‘leave in line’ with them (i.e. permission to be in the UK for the same period of time).

You can read more about family reunion here

https://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/resources/family-reunion/

and here

https://www.freemovement.org.uk/refugee-family-reunion-a-users-guide/

If a family want to explore family reunion, you must help them to access legal advice. It is a complex area and you should not provide this advice yourself if you are not legally qualified.

One option is Corams Childrens Legal Centre Migrant Children's Project advice line

• Tel: 0207 636 8505
• email [email protected] 
• CCLC family reunion factsheet here 
• https://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/about-us/what-we-do/migrant-childrens-project/ 

 

What is the Government Process for Family Reunion? 

For Afghan citizens in the UK, the Government’s family reunion policy allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the refugee fled their country.

There are separate provisions in the Immigration Rules to allow extended family to sponsor children to come here where there are serious and compelling circumstances. Refugees can also sponsor adult dependent relatives living overseas to join them where, due to age, illness, or disability, that person requires long-term personal care that can only be provided by relatives in the UK.

You can find more on the UK government family reunion process here 

https://www.gov.uk/settlement-refugee-or-humanitarian-protection/family-reunion

 

What if We Need Help Contacting Family in Afghanistan? 

The British Red Cross provides an Internal Family Tracing service. If the refugee's relatives are not answering normal communications such as telephone, email or mobile, Red Cross may be able to help.

Please contact your nearest British Red Cross office redcross.org.uk/trace and tell them they would like to contact a family member.