Safe Passage International
France
Safe Passage France exists to defend the right of displaced people, and specifically children, to access safe routes to reunite with their families. We do this through expert legal and social support to bring children and families back together in France, or elsewhere in Europe.
What we do
Being with family is a fundamental human right. It's particularly vital for child refugees who've been torn apart from loved ones fleeing war or persecution.
Safe Passage France supports these families from the moment they apply to reunite, through the process, and for up to six months after they've arrived. We help them not just reach safety but settle into their new lives.
Our legal work focuses on:
Family reunification within the European Union
International family reunification through our REUNIR project
Protecting refugees at the France-UK border, focusing on safe and legal routes to the UK
How we work
We're recognised as leaders in family reunion work, combining legal expertise with strategic advocacy and capacity-building. Our approach brings together:
Legal casework and post-arrival support. We take on individual family reunion cases from start to finish, and support families with the practical help they need when they arrive.
Capacity-building. We train legal professionals and child protection workers so more people understand family reunion processes and can help families navigate them.
Research and strategic litigation. We identify the barriers that keep families apart and bring legal cases to court to change the law.
Advocacy. We work with French decision-makers to raise awareness of these barriers and push for systemic change.
Our impact
650
child refugees supported to reach safety and family since 2016
60
families reunited in 2025
129
professionnals trained on family reunion practices in 2025
To learn more about what we’ve achieved, read our full activity reports (in French):
How we support families
Throughout our work, we offer free legal advice and support unaccompanied minors at every stage. This includes:
Guidance on the application process. We help families and child protection professionals understand their rights and navigate each stage.
Case preparation. We work with families to build strong cases, gathering evidence and preparing documents that give them the best chance of success.
Ongoing support. Once a case is submitted, we follow it closely, challenging unreasonable delays and unfair refusals.
Post-arrival assistance. When a family arrives, we're there to help with practical needs like housing or education and settling in.
We put children's needs first in everything we do. We work closely with everyone supporting each child, ensuring our approach prioritises their safety and wellbeing.
We primarily support family reunion for:
Unaccompanied minors (UAMs) in France wishing to bring relatives over, or children abroad trying to reunite with relatives in France
UAMs in an EU country trying to join relatives in France, or children in France trying to bring over relatives in another EU country
Safe Passage gave me hope when I was in darkness and my life seemed hopeless. Thanks to your team, I am reunited with my sister in France and have resumed my studies. As a girl in Afghanistan, I had no rights, but today, thanks to you, I live in peace and am pursuing my abandoned dreams.
— Safe Passage France client
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Stand with refugee families
Families deserve to be together. Your support keeps our vital legal and social work going, and reunites child refugees with their families.
Resources on family reunion
We also work to build awareness and knowledge of family reunion among professionals and organisations. If your organisation would benefit from training, please contact us at: contact.france@safepassage.fr
As well as an Information Sheet on asylum visas for Afghan nationals (available in
English, Dari and Pashto):
Are you, or is someone you know, in need of protection and support to reach safety or reunite with family?
To apply for legal support or refer someone please contact us at:
Outside the EU: visa-reunification@safepassage.fr
Within the EU: reunification-ue@safepassage.fr
Updates from Safe Passage France
Read our latest stories and news.
