Afghanistan Analysts Network Reports Uncertain Futures for Afghan Migrants in UK Amid Immigration Policy Changes

The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) has reported that thousands of Afghan migrants in the United Kingdom face uncertain futures due to tightened immigration policies.

According to the report, many Afghans who arrived via special programs following political changes in Afghanistan in 2021, such as the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), now lack permanent residency. Hasht-e Subh cited AAN as stating that about 38,000 Afghans were relocated through these now-closed programs.

Rejected Afghan asylum seekers are living in a state of "legal limbo," with no rights to work and no possibility of deportation, the report found. AAN noted a sharp drop in asylum acceptance rates for Afghans, from 98% in 2022 to 34% in 2025, according to Hasht-e Subh. Refugees accepted in the past five years could face waits of up to 20 years for permanent residency under new schemes.

Pajhwok reported that the AAN analysis, based on 13 interviews with Afghans and experts conducted between September 2025 and February 2026, as well as a review of UK policies, highlighted prolonged insecurity for those without permanent status. It pointed to major immigration reforms proposed in November 2025 aimed at lengthening residency waits, increasing costs and complicating paths to citizenship.

Additionally, the UK suspended student visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan in March 2026, further limiting options for Afghans, per Pajhwok's coverage of the AAN report.