Afghans in the UK: In the wake of the UK and US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, concluding a two-decade-long war, Zulikha Zazai and her family faced the chaotic scene at Hamid Karzai International Airport, desperately seeking evacuation amid the Taliban’s return to power.
For over two years, Zazai has resided in the UK with her siblings, having escaped with relatives visiting from the UK during the tumultuous events. Living in Leeds, she reflects on the hardships of life without her parents, emphasizing the impact on the new generation and the vital need for parental presence.
Numerous young individuals, now residing in the UK under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), share similar struggles living with evacuated relatives. Hindered by the absence of a mechanism for minors to reunite with their parents and financial constraints preventing visa routes, their reconnection with family remains uncertain.
In 2023, activists and charities, including Safe Passage, urged the government to fulfil its commitment to resettling 20,000 Afghan refugees under ACRS. However, government figures reveal fewer than 300 arrivals under ACRS and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme in the first nine months of 2023. In contrast, according to Safe Passage, 5,249 Afghans arrived in the UK irregularly, with 4,843 undertaking perilous Channel crossings.
Caterina Franchi, a lawyer for Safe Passage, criticizes the apparent indifference to traumatized children, viewing them merely as statistics. The Home Office assures ongoing efforts to evacuate eligible individuals. It expresses a commitment to bringing more Afghans to the UK, with plans for a referral route in the first half of 2024.
Leeds psychotherapist Philippa Kempe highlights the distressing toll on the mental and physical well-being of separated children, citing cases of eating disorders, self-harm, and emotional distress. The failure to address these issues has disheartened Kempe, emphasizing the UK’s obligation to safeguard children’s needs.
Bahir, 15, evacuated with his uncle, expresses constant worry about his parents and siblings left behind in Afghanistan. Similarly, Farhad, 16, stranded at the airport during the withdrawal, laments broken promises of family reunification since 2021.
Labour MP Hilary Benn of Leeds Central finds the stories heartbreaking and urges the Home Office to take action in reuniting these families affected by the events in Afghanistan, particularly at Kabul airport.
