This government is tearing refugee families apart. Help us stop it.
The UK government is cracking down on family reunion – a lifeline for countless refugees trying to reunite with their loved ones. But the UK government is cracking down on this vital route, including by:
Suspending refugee family reunion, which benefits 92% of women and children
Attacking the right to family life in the UK, protected by international law and essential for all of us
Backtracking on long-standing commitments to protect child refugees and help them reunite with their families
This government is putting politics before compassion – and innocent children will pay the price.
Tell the Home Secretary to stop breaking families apart
0 people have taken action so far
Why this matters
When war or persecution tears families apart, family reunion helps bring them back together and rebuild their lives in safety. It’s a lifeline for many refugees fleeing war or persecution.
But cruel immigration reforms are putting this vital right at risk. At Safe Passage International, we see what this means every day: children left alone in danger in warzones or unsafe camps, their mental health shattered.
Closing safe routes like family reunion doesn’t stop these children getting onto small boats, but it does make their journeys more dangerous.
Last year, 24 children died trying to reach the UK – a record number.
Nour and Leila* were recently reunited with their dad, a refugee in the UK, after almost a decade apart, thanks to our support. A former Afghan Border Police Officer, their dad was targeted by the Taliban and had to flee to protect his family. They’re now rebuilding their lives together, but with the current suspension of Refugee Family Reunion, many children won’t get that chance.
Our demands to the Home Secretary:
1. Restore family reunion
2. Uphold the right to family life
3. Stop spreading fear and division
What you can do
We only have until the end of the year to try and stop this suspension and further restricting of family reunion. The easiest and quickest way to make a difference is to use our short form to send an email directly to the Home Secretary.
If you are looking for other ways to get involved, here are just a few ideas:
Read our explainer ➜
Get clued up about family reunion — how it works, what its suspension means for families, what’s the government planning and how to fight back.
Download our activist toolkit ➜
Our guide is packed with ideas, tips and talking points to take your activism further — from talking to loved ones about the campaign, to lobbying your MP or getting local press attention.
Get our posters and social media assets ➜
What better way to show your support for refugee families than to make it visible? Download our free posters and social media templates to show your support online and in your community.
Download our conversation guide ➜
Change starts with conversations. Talking to those around you about family reunion can help build understanding and counter the misinformation which is ripe on migration issues.
Donate ➜
We’re a people-powered movemnt and bold campaigns to challenge the government like this one are only possible thanks to people like you. Chip in what you can to keep the fight for family reunion case — and give families vital legal and social support.
Stories of family reunion
About Safe Passage International
Safe Passage International is a charity that exists to open and defend safe routes for refugees, and help families torn apart by war and persecution to reunite safely. We started in 2015, when volunteer lawyers in Calais helped unaccompanied children reunite with their families in the UK. Since then, we’ve grown into a movement spanning the UK, France and Greece, combining legal casework, grassroots campaigning, and political advocacy.
We’ve helped thousands of children and families find safety across Europe, and continue to fight for lasting change so no one has to risk their life to reach protection. We’ve never stopped fighting for the right of every family to be together, especially after fleeing war or persecution. Here are just a few of the families we’ve supported to reunite: