Afghan refugees will finally be reunited with families they had to leave behind when they were flown to the United Kingdom to escape retribution from the Taliban, after winning a three-year campaign.
A rule change will allow the refugees to bring over spouses, partners, and children, many of whom are trapped in Pakistan at risk of deportation back to Afghanistan after a crackdown by the government in Islamabad.
The previous Conservative government broke a commitment to help potentially thousands of people separated from their loved ones — including father-of-two Muhammad, whose story was revealed by Devex — but the new Labour administration has now opened a three-month window for applications.
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
