Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
love actually stars Hugh Grant And richard curtis to pass Supported calls to restore a critical visa route he will allow refugees To reunite with loved ones in the UK.
Refugee family reunification scrapped by the Home Secretary Shabana Mehmood As part of his sweeping changes to the immigration system announced in November.
visa route, which allows refugees to apply for their Immediate family members should come to a safe place, New applications were put on hold under Yvette Cooper, but Ms Mahmood gave the go-ahead in November – confirming it would only be available in the “most exceptional circumstances”.
under his plansRefugees no longer have an automatic right to family reunification. Instead only those who successfully enter the work and study visa pathway will be eligible. Yet they may face higher income requirements and English language tests.
British Red Cross There are campaigns to reverse the changes, and a new Christmas campaign has recreated the iconic opening scene of Love Actually to show the pain that separated families experience.
Lending his voice to the campaign, actor Hugh Grant said: “Christmas is when most of us look forward to being with the people we love. It is heartbreaking that so many people who have fled conflict and disaster are separated from their families without knowing when they will be able to see each other again.
“Every family deserves the chance to be together safely.”
Director and writer Richard Curtis said: “Everyone can relate to the desire to be with their loved ones and see their family safe. For more than a century, the British Red Cross has been working to bring families back together.
“The proposed changes could effectively close a vital route to safety and increase the risk of people making dangerous journeys to reach family and sanctuary”.
According to Red Cross analysis, at least 4,900 families – and 6,300 children – will be affected by the suspension of the visa route between September 2025 and April 2026.
Charity with years of experience in helping refugee families reunify in the UK Earlier warnings were made that the action could lead to more dangerous Channel crossings As women and children left behind in war zones attempt to be reunited with their loved ones in Britain.
One family supported by the charity, Omar, 33, and Hiba, 26, were able to be reunited with their baby son at Heathrow Airport last year. Forced to flee the conflict in Sudan, Omen and Hiba had to leave their son with Omer’s grandmother.
Omar said that, after the family was reunited, “for the next two or three days we didn’t leave our house, we just stayed inside with her and spent time with our child”.
He further added, “Our house was full of toys and we just played with them. It was a wonderful day for us.”
One Ethiopian computer science student Omar Hei said Independent He was heartbroken when he missed the deadline to apply to bring his wife and two-year-old son to the UK.
Omar received his refugee grant on 4 September and tried to start an application for his family, but the scheme closed at 3pm that day.
Speaking about his son, he says: “If I can’t save him, if I can’t protect him, then what do I have?
“We just want the opportunity to save our lives and not be isolated.”
Beatrice Butsana-Sita, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said: “Nobody wants to leave their family behind, but sadly many are forced to do so due to conflict and other crises. Family reunification has long been a cornerstone of the UK refugee protection system – providing a vital, safe and managed route for refugees to be reunited with the people they love.
“We want to continue to facilitate family reunification for people separated by conflict, violence and persecution.”