We are urgently seeking support from the community to help raise funds to ensure that a University of East Anglia (UEA) Afghan PhD student and his young family can leave Afghanistan and return back to the UK. Hassan (whose name has been changed to protect his identity), his wife and small children have been in hiding in Afghanistan for the past year, living in unimaginable conditions whilst they await evacuation to the UK. The winter months were spent without much food, clean water, medicine and heating, moving from one safe house to another in the rural hinterland.

The family found out only last month that they will have to make their own way to the UK. Hassan and his wife have both been receiving direct threats from the Afghan state. He, for being an academic, was held at gunpoint, while his wife, who is an activist on women’s rights and girls education, has been threatened on more than one occasion. They now need to leave to survive.

Hassan and his family urgently need to travel out of Afghanistan to a third country where they will be able to apply for a visa to the UK. We are asking for support to raise enough funds to cover the travel and visa costs this family will incur in order to reach safety.

How can you help?

If you are in the position to do so, please consider donating directly below. All donations no matter how small will make a life-changing difference.

Thank you for visiting our fundraising page.

Together we can bring Hassan and his family back to the safety of the UK.

This fundraiser is being organised by staff from the UEA University of Sanctuary initiative.

Supporting events

As part of our efforts to help reach our target and bring Hassan and his family home, members of the local community undertook a sponsored walk/run/cylce during National Refugee Week, 20th-26th June. Thank you to the following members of the community for taking part:

Gabby, Theo, Nancy, Arthur, Dylan, Lola, Rob, Madeleine,Jumara, Ryan, Rob, Leticia, Sophie, Ori, Matthew, Dottie, Liz, Leo, Mirah, Lani, Cassie, Belle, Jade, Joseph, Beau, Kelly, Eira, Dylan, Karina, Lysander, Ellery, Lauren, Hugh