"The hopes of asylum seekers aiming to be reunited with their loved ones in the UK have been shattered after the home secretary announced on Monday that new applications to the family reunion scheme were to be suspended. The prospect of reuniting with spouses and children after reaching safety is often what sustains those trying to reach Britain during their difficult journeys. Immigration lawyers are urgently working to lodge applications while the scheme remains open in cases of people who have been granted refugee status."
"This is going to impact on every single asylum seeker who is hoping to reunite with their family. I heard something about it yesterday but I did not believe it was true. I heard it again on the news today and now know the information is correct. I had to break the news to my wife. She hasn't been able to stop crying since she heard the news. What is the value of this life if you have to be separated from the people you love? Both of us are completely shattered by"
The home secretary announced a suspension of new applications to the family reunion scheme until spring, and the Home Office indicated any replacement will likely be more restrictive. Asylum seekers often rely on family reunion to join spouses and children after reaching safety. Immigration lawyers are urgently lodging applications for those already granted refugee status. An Afghan man who fled after the Taliban takeover faces separation from his wife, who escaped to Pakistan and risks deportation. Many asylum seekers report shock, emotional distress, and shattered plans for family reunification in the wake of the policy change.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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