Government announces opening of Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 1 Stage 2: Separated Families
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, announced today that a new pathway of the Afghan resettlement scheme has opened to allow families to be reunited in the UK if they were separated during the military evacuation from Kabul in August 2021.
Image credit: WikipediaThe new Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 1 Stage 2: Separated Families is open for expressions of interest from today until 30 October 2024.
Seema Malhotra said: "Those who have been resettled in the UK under Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 1 and were evacuated during Operation Pitting without their immediate family members can submit an expression of interest under this pathway."
Details of the new separated families pathway is available here on GOV.UK. The Home Office's guidance for the pathway can be accessed from here.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Refugees said today's announcement by the Government was very welcome and overdue.
A full copy of the Minister's written statement to Parliament today follows below:
Seema Malhotra
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Statement
In August 2021, following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the UK undertook a military evacuation from Kabul. This evacuation is known as Operation Pitting.
During Operation Pitting, the UK Government "called forward" a number of people for evacuation. These people were identified as being particularly at risk. They included female politicians, members of the LGBT+ community, women's rights activists and judges.
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.
This Government is implementing that commitment and providing a means for families who were separated by the military evacuation from Kabul in August 2021 to be reunited in the UK.
Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 1 Stage 2: Separated Families will open today, Tuesday 30 July. The window to submit an expression of interest will remain open for 3 months until 30 October 2024.
Those who have been resettled in the UK under Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 1 and were evacuated during Operation Pitting without their immediate family members can submit an expression of interest under this pathway. Operation Pitting refers to the military evacuation to the UK from Afghanistan between 13 August and 21 August 2021.
Eligible individuals can submit an expression of interest for:
- A spouse or unmarried partner
- Their dependent children aged under 18 at the time of the evacuation.
In addition, any children who were evacuated without their parents will be able to submit an expression of interest for their parents and siblings aged under 18 at the time of the evacuation. Additional family members may be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Further information on who is eligible and how to submit an expression of interest will be made available on GOV.UK shortly.