Refugees living in the UK are prevented from successfully
integrating into British life because they are unable to be
reunited with their loved ones facing danger overseas, Oxfam and
the Refugee Council warned today.
A new research report, Safe but not Settled, reveals
that separation from loved ones prevents many refugee rebuilding
their lives in the UK.
The report details cases of refugees becoming desperate, and even
suicidal, because of the distress caused by UK Government rules
which prevent families from being reunited.
Many refugees were plagued by worry, which left them unable
to focus on finding work, making friends or learning English. In
a few cases, refugees were so anxious they rarely left their
homes. Some refugees end up in poverty as they struggle to
pay for the legal costs of applying to bring their family
here.
The separation can also have practical consequences, with
refugees becoming overwhelmed by extra caring responsibilities
that restrict the time they can spend on activities to help them
settle in to UK life. One young Syrian man, Joram, became the
sole carer for his eight-year-old sister and parents, both of
whom have serious medical conditions. His brother, who used to
share the responsibility of looking after the family, is trapped
in Lebanon and ineligible to join them here.
The report comes ahead of a crucial debate in Parliament in March
where MPs will consider changing the law to enable more refugees
to be reunited with their loved ones. Current rules only allow
adult refugees to be reunited with their spouses and children
younger than 18. Additionally legal aid has not been available
for refugee family reunion since 2013, making it even more
difficult for families separated by war and persecution to
reunite.
The report finds that where families are able to reunite, the
benefits can be immense with dramatic improvements on people’s
ability to learn English, find work and rebuild their lives.
The Refugee Council and Oxfam say that the existing rules are
restrictive and unfair, failing to recognise that families come
in all shapes and sizes. They urge the Government to change the
rules so that more refugee families can live together. They also
call for legal aid to be reintroduced so that refugees who have
lost everything can get the support they need to navigate the
complicated process of being reunited with their families.
Maurice Wren, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, said: “As
this report makes crystal clear, refugee families living in the
UK are just like most other families in the UK: the safety of
their loved ones is of utmost importance. The evidence is clear:
reuniting refugee families gives them the best chance of living
settled and fulfilling lives. Denying them the chance to restore
their family ties condemns then to a future of anguish and guilt,
with the anxiety of separation undermining their mental health.
We urge the Government to do better by refugees and amend the
unfair, restrictive UK rules that prevent refugee families from
being reunited just when they need each other the most.”
, Oxfam’s head of policy,
programmes and campaigns, said: “We all know how important family
is when it comes to feeling safe, loved and secure. Most people
would be shocked to discover that families are being torn apart
simply because a brother or sister is over 18 and therefore not
eligible to join their parents and siblings in the UK.
“Refugees want to be able to play an active role in their
communities and be able to learn English, but all too often they
face pointless hurdles because of a system that keeps them
separated from their family. This in turns destroys their
confidence to go out, make friends and be part of their
community. As this study shows, it is not only harmful but also
damaging to their chances of integrating successfully.”
The report includes the story of Aster, who was persecuted in
Eritrea on account of her religion and forced to flee or face
death. After a long and perilous journey, including time spent in
prison where she was abused, Aster finally arrived in the UK in
2016.
Despite being finally safe, Aster is desperately worried about
her children. She knows the chances of reuniting with them are
slim: her daughter faces conscription into Eritrea’s notoriously
brutal military. Although her two sons have managed to escape to
Ethiopia, they are both seriously ill with no one to care for
them and as young adults are no longer eligible to join her here.
She knows that there is slim chance of being reunited with them
because two of them are 18 or over.
She said: “When I think of my children, I am always sad and I
cannot enjoy life or take any part in anything … I’m doing my
best but I can’t fully concentrate on anything I do, all the time
I am stressed thinking about the day when I will be reunited with
my children.”
