We have written to the prime minister, alongside over 100 charities and activists, urging him to follow through on his commitment to resettle the families of Afghans who have arrived in the UK.
It has been a year since the government launched the Afghan resettlement scheme, known as ACRS. It came with a pledge to help the family members of those who have arrived in the UK, but so far there is still no procedure in place for this.
Today’s letter highlights serious concerns about the safety of families who have been separated, women, girls and those from vulnerable religious and ethnic communities who have been left in Afghanistan.
Women in Afghanistan are currently subject to oppressive laws, including being banned from attending high school or university, practicing their professions and are subject to arbitrary arrest.
An Amnesty International report, Death in Slow Motion: Women and Girls Under Taliban Rule, revealed how women who peacefully protested against these oppressive rules have been threatened, arrested, detained and tortured.
A joint investigation by the Observer and Lighthouse Reports also revealed that people the UK pledged to help under the ACRS scheme have been severely beaten and tortured by the Taliban.
The letter to Rishi Sunak states:
“We are asking you, Prime Minister, to honour the commitments made to Afghan families. Will you today recommit to reunite families separated during the evacuations as the Government promised? Living in uncertainty, Afghan refugees are desperate to know that you have not forgotten their loved ones and will deliver on the promises made as Kabul fell.
“Brothers and sisters, parents and children, husbands and wives were separated in the chaos of trying to get on a flight in August 2021. At the time, your Government rightly recognised that families belong together and promised that those airlifted to safety would be resettled with their loved ones. However, nearly a year and a half on families are being kept apart because no process has been put in place for their reunification under the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.”
We have also written to the Prime Minister to call for an end to placing vulnerable children in hotels. The letter was sent following alarming news that 200 children seeking protection in the UK have gone missing from hotel accommodation. You can read more here.
Find out more about our Afghan Citizens Information Service.
