The British government wants to extend the duration of the Home Office's Afghan resettlement program in order to reunite Afghan refugees with their families in the country. So far, around 6,500 Afghans have come to Britain under the programme, including women's rights activists, journalists and prosecutors.

The Home Office's Afghanistan resettlement program is being expanded to ensure Afghan refugees evacuated to the UK can finally be reunited with close family members back home.

It means Afghans separated from relatives in the unrest over the withdrawal of Western troops from Kabul in 2021 can now apply to be reunited with their families in Britain, The Independent reported on Tuesday.

"It is our moral duty to ensure that families who have been tragically separated are reunited and not at the mercy of the Taliban, which is why I have extended ACRS so that those who remain can be resettled in Britain," Immigration Minister Seema Malhotra said.

Around 6,500 Afghans have come to Britain under the program so far, including women's rights activists, journalists and prosecutors.

Consanguineous relationships that are grounds for coming to Britain include spouses, as well as children under 18 at the time of evacuation. Parents and siblings of children arriving in the UK are also eligible for the programme.

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