Thanks very much to the Myra Davis Memorial Fund for agreeing to hold and help raise funds for this cause. We have set up this page at the request of my Afghan friend of many years.

My friend’s mother and younger siblings have been targeted by the Taliban and are in imminent danger. He wants to bring them to safety in the UK but can’t afford the Home Office fees, solicitor’s costs and DNA testing costs, which would be approx. £2250, £3840 and £1800 respectively (£7890 in total). There would then be more to pay if it went to court.

Please donate if you can. Your help is very much appreciated.

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ABOUT MY FRIEND

I was initially going to include a little potted history from him in his own words but I’m worried about identifying him with too many details. Since arriving alone in the UK in his early teens he’s always worked and studied hard and has given his time for voluntary work. He’s just starting an apprenticeship with the NHS and is passionate about patient care. Life’s never been easy for him and he’s had his fair share of tribulations but knowing his family is in danger is worse for him than any of that. He’s desperate to help them.

WHAT’S HAPPENED?

Abridged version of what has happened in his own words:

“As the British evacuation come to end, the Taliban entered our home late at night and started searching the house for my uncle who lived with us and worked in the Afghan army. And they asked my mum “Where is your eldest son? Is he back from the UK?”

My mum explained that neither I nor my uncle were at home. So they start beating my brothers, and when my sister and mum tried to stop them they beat them too.

They destroyed everything at home and told my mom she has 24 hours for her son to return home and for my uncle to give himself up. Or they will pay with their lives.

During the search, they found an English book that my sisters were studying with and they started beating my brothers asking why they study English.

When my sister told them “it’s mine”, they started beating my sisters. They told my mum that their leaders would decide a punishment for her for letting my sisters study English.

So my mum did what she could to save her life and the rest of the family. After they left, she left home with my sisters and brothers and came to Kabul airport asking people to help.

Nobody is helping her, they live now on the street with no food and shelter. My sisters cry to me on the phone “please brother, help Mum!”. I don’t know how to help.  Where to go.

I called the Home Office refugee helpline. They said someone will contact you from the Home Office but nobody called me.

I’m lost. I don’t know where else to go. I was so looking forward to my apprenticeship course this year but I’m getting depressed

I don’t know how I will cope with this.”

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FAQs

Here are some answers to questions you may have. If you have a specific question you should be able to message me via this page and I will reply as soon as I can.

• Can’t you get Legal Aid?

Family reunion is not covered by legal aid. We have been looking into pro bono options. His MP has helped with a referral for this but we haven’t had any luck as yet. If you have an idea about organisations that might assist please let me know.

• How can I help?

If you could share this with friends that would help. Individual messages work best.

If you know of any organizations giving grants for legal costs or doing pro bono work that you think could help please let me know.

If you could write to your MP asking for them to push for negotiation on safe passage for refugees out of Afghanistan and to support a scheme to offer sanctuary to a larger number of Afghans in the UK then that would help in a general way.

If you are artistic, could you design a cover picture for this page? The one used currently is a free sample but isn’t the full version as this required a subscription.

• Aren’t things bad for everyone in Afghanistan?

The problem here is not just that the Taliban have taken over and the family don’t want to live under an oppressive regime, though that’s terrible enough. The Taliban have specifically targeted this family for punishment, assaulted them and made threats, so home is no longer safe. The Taliban has a track record of violence against civilians it deems enemies and attacks on those linked with the Afghan Government as was. It is now in control of all Afghanistan and can act with impunity.

• Even if the family get permission to come to the UK, how will they get out of Afghanistan?

The situation is new and developing and the UK Government has made statements about helping people leave who want to. If this assistance doesn’t materialise it will be especially challenging and dangerous trying to leave. However, having visas would mean if they managed to exit the country they wouldn’t be at risk of being returned into the hands of the Taliban and possibly tortured and killed, which could happen otherwise.

• Will raising the funds guarantee success?

Unfortunately not. The Home Office could still reject the application. The solicitor we plan to use has been very helpful in the past, is experienced with complex cases and thinks it could succeed but it’s impossible to give a figure for how likely this is.

• If you can’t raise enough money will some funds still help?

Yes, we could look at prioritising the most vulnerable family members e.g. his teenage sisters, who are at a particular risk of trafficking/forced marriage.

• If there’s somehow money left over, what will you use it for?

We will use it to help my friend or his family in line with the aims of the Myra Davis  Memorial Fund. For example for costs associated with his apprenticeship or Home Office fees that he will have to pay in a few years to extend his residency and that will be difficult to save for while on an apprenticeship.