We are urgently seeking your support to reunite a father in the UK, with his wife and three teenage daughters, who are stuck in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, waiting for a visa appointment.

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Ahmad* is a longstanding BHN member. When his asylum claim was refused in 2023, he was hosted by BHN while our Advice team worked on his case for over a year. Since being granted refugee status in 2024, this devoted husband and father has been working tirelessly to bring his family to safety. Ahmad applied for Family Reunion in October 2025, but with no UK visa office in Afghanistan, his wife and daughters were forced to make a dangerous journey out of the country, accompanied by her brother, as women aren't t allowed to travel without a male ‘guardian’.

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After eventually arriving in Tajikistan, the family should be able to complete the ID checks necessary for the visa application, but must wait for the UK Home Office to arrange the appointment. They are living in temporary accommodation, facing daily costs of around £200 for food and shelter, without income or confirmation about when they’ll be seen.

Time is running out.

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They must finalise their visa applications before the end of April as the Family Reunion applications will expire. If they miss this deadline, their chance to reunite could be lost, forcing them to return to Afghanistan, where they face serious danger and uncertainty.

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Meanwhile, we have been informed by Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy’s caseworkers that the Home Office can take up to 20 days to arrange a visa appointment in Dushanbe. 

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If we can cover the costs of the family to stay in Dushanbe, this increases their chances of getting a visa appointment before April 30th. Please help bring Ahmad’s family back together.