ILPA sent the below letter to Seema Malhotra, Under Secretary of State (Migration and Citizenship), on 9 October 2024, calling on her to ‘take immediate action to prevent further loss of life by expanding the scope of family reunion policy to include family members of all Afghans who have found safety in the UK’. The letter includes five key recommendations for family reunion under the Afghan Schemes:
- Broaden the scope of family reunion for Afghans to include immediate and extended family members, akin to the Ukraine Family Scheme which was active between 4 March 2022 to 19 February 2024.
- Ensure a fair and accessible family reunion scheme for all individuals on the Afghan Schemes and adopt a compassionate, case-by-case approach to ensure families are not unfairly penalised.
- Provide urgent clarity and transparency regarding the criteria and process for Additional Family Member (AFM) applications made under Appendix ARAP.
- Expand the eligibility criteria for ACRS Pathway 1 Stage 2 to include Afghans who were unable to evacuate during Operation Pitting due to circumstances beyond their control and extend the timeframe for submitting referrals.
- Allow Afghans who were compelled to enter the UK via alternative routes, due to the lack of a safe pathway, to reunite with their ACRS Pathway 1 family members by enabling them to transition to ACRS Pathway 1 Stage 2.
UPDATE 6 JANUARY 2025: ILPA received the below response from Seema Malhotra on 6 January 2025.
- Document Date
- Wednesday October 9, 2024