Noorulla’s Story- how RMC’s immigration service changes lives
In 2024, with the help of RMC, Noorulla, was reunited with his family, ending 15 years of separation. “Now I don’t have tension. I believe in this country that people will be supported. People’s human rights are looked after. I don’t worry about the future; we are safe and secure. Life is good here, we are very happy here now, this is a good time in our lives.”
Noorulla arrived in the UK in 2012, having fled Afghanistan and claimed asylum with the hope of being able to bring his family to safety too. It wasn’t until 2020 when he was finally granted refugee status, and the security this would bring, that he would be able to start the process of applying for family reunion.
During the eight long years he waited, Noorulla was not permitted to work. Back in Afghanistan, he had worked as a shepherd within the Kochi tribe, but in the UK, he had no means of supporting himself and little help. The isolation and lack of purpose severely affected his mental health. “I had a really difficult time… I couldn’t work, I wasn’t permitted to, I had no financial support… I felt like no one was there to take care of me.”

Seeking support
Due to his poor mental health Noorulla was in and out of the hospital for several years, but by 2021 he was finally well enough to apply for family reunion. With the Taliban resurging in Afghanistan, his sole focus became the safety of his family. “My focus was that no one was there to take care of my family. All I cared about was my wife and three children.”
After being referred to RMC, he received free, specialist immigration advice. RMC supported Noorulla with the family reunion application. Due to the conflict, Noorulla’s family had to travel to a neighbouring country for their visa appointment, choosing Pakistan where they had contacts who could offer temporary support.
The application took 16 months, with further evidence requested in early 2023. Once approved in April 2023, the family collected their visas in Pakistan but were then barred from leaving the country without costly exit visas. Noorulla and his family were unable to purchase these visas before their visa to enter the UK expired, due to a lack of available finances.
Deportation
While RMC requested the visas be reissued, the family was detained and deported back to Afghanistan. Noorulla then relocated them to Iran, where exit visas weren’t needed, and RMC arranged for the documents to be sent there.
Six months later, Noorulla flew to Iran to support their final attempt to reach the UK. “After 15 years, the only moment that I really felt good was when I reunited with my family in Iran. I forgot all the difficulties I had faced because I was so happy. But unfortunately, that happiness didn’t last long when the Iran visa centre told me my families visa was in Pakistan. All the tension and problems came back. I wondered, why me?”
Fighting the case
As RMC attempted to correct the error, the family waited in Iran for two months, with no progress. With his temporary visa in Iran expiring, Noorulla had to leave his family in Iran, while he flew alone to the UK.
They were starting to feel hopeless. With limited funds running out to keep travelling they didn’t know what they could do. “when I returned to Birmingham from Iran, I felt extremely unlucky, I felt that my family would never get to Birmingham.”
In the UK, RMC contacted Noorulla’s MP and the Home Office, raising all of the issues. “Whenever I talked with Danai [RMC Caseworker] I got more confidence. Felt like this will actually happen, that I will be reunited with my family. It had a real positive impact on my mental health.”
After several follow up emails, the involvement of the MP and the threat of legal action, RMC were finally told the documents had all be sent to the visa centre in Iran. “They send another visa, but I couldn’t believe it. I’d lost so much trust and faith”
"It was real this time"
Meeting his family again in Iran, they collected their documents. Still nervously heading to the airport, scared of being detained or denied somewhere along the way. “They were asking me if it would all happen again or if it would really be OK this time and we’d finally be together”
It was only as they finally got their boarding passes and entered the plane to the UK, they could finally take a deep breath and start believing they would finally be together. “It was real this time”. In July 2024 they finally arrived in Birmingham, ready to start their new life in the UK.

Turning safety into opportunity
Noorulla remains positive about the future. His three children have dreams of becoming doctors and engineers in the future, they are adjusting well to life in the UK and are happy to be here. The family finally have somewhere they feel safe. Noorulla saw all the opportunities available to his family now to make a better, brighter future. “There are lots of opportunities in this country. I want them [his sons] to be educated, to have a good life. To use this to serve others and help the community. If they are educated, they could also one day help with the peace and development of Afghanistan.”
Noorulla’s story highlights the growing delays in family reunion applications, which harm vulnerable families already affected by years of hardship. As one of the few legal and safe routes for reuniting families, these delays create significant challenges. RMC plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between beneficiaries and the complex immigration system, helping vulnerable families navigate it so they can rebuild their lives in safety.
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