Can I bring my partners Syrian mum and sisters to the UK?

[BA25]

war has broken out, there village is surrounded. Is there any way I can bring them here to keep them safe? My partner is crying non stop. Can I sponsor them? The rules are so confusing.

Ik some ways, but imagine if your family were in a v different one, you'd still want to be w them, esp in an awful situation.

We have similar issues. Maybe they won’t be sleeping on beaches, but they won’t have their own home. Thousands in temp accommodation here already. Hundreds of thousands on long waiting lists for social housing. That’s not going to change any time soon, if ever. We have nowhere to put them. Simple as that. And the neighbouring countries to Syria have far greater land mass than the UK., so are bigger and can potentially accommodate more. The people of the UK have already voiced their genuine very real concerns regarding immigration, and I’ve no doubt Labour will not be accepting any large influx of refugees for the foreseeable, not if they want another term in government.

What? Isn't that a conspiracy theory? Or maybe some truth?

How long have you been with this partner? What do they do for a living and do they earn enough to sponsor people to come to the U.K.? Have you met the family in question? It’s a terrible situation but these are pertinent questions which will help people to advise you.

So - that is totally weird. You can afford to support her here, but are not permitted to, and you can't live where she is and support her there. Seems nuts. Is there a third country where you could both live together?

The OP will not be able to take care of what sounds like three additional adults on her income. In the end they will need assistance for govt. Countries with similar climate, culture, govt, religion etc makes it an easier transition and easier to maintain ties to one's home land.

The UK is a the brink of collapse when it comes to public services. So many Brits who have no other country as home are not receiving the help they need. They have no other government to call on.

Hi, I am sorry to read about this situation. I don't know if your partner and his family are Syriac Orthodox but could it be worth enquiring through the church representatives in the UK about safe places/refuge in nearby countries? There may be an informal network available that can get them out to a place where they can at least be safe.

I would say if they can get to a safe place/country close by then the OP and her partner can support them with living costs at less cost directly through money transfers like Western Union etc. I know of other people in a similar situation that do this for their relatives.

It's not weird because family visas aren't issued just because you have the funds. That criteria only applies to spouses and children, not parents, and is standard in most countries because a parent isn't a legal dependent. Looking after a parent is a social and humane obligation we do out of love, not legality, but 'love' is low on the priorities for immigration to the UK (as it reasonably should be).

I can't live where she is because I migrated to the UK 20 years ago and have citizenship here, but had to renounce citizenship in my home country as we aren't allowed dual passports. So I can't work in my home country and also left to avoid religious persecution, so won't be risking my safety going back. Also I have a DH and DC in the UK and all of us and my mum are not going to find a 3rd country that will give us all citizenship, homes, jobs, pensions and schooling at a snap. That's not how immigration works.

My mum and I understood the sacrifices we'd be making when I migrated. It doesn't make it easier or fairer to live apart, but it means my own DC (and her grand DC) have a much better life than I did growing up. It's just how immigration works - someone always gets left behind.

I don't really know anything about immigration but I think it's obvious you'd your partner might have a better chance to get his Mum over if you were married. If he applies as a single person they would only count his income we here as if you were married they would likely count both of your incomes. I think it depends if your partner earns enough to sponsor them or if they are a nurse.

You have a point but OP's partner's family are refugees from war at this point and have rights under the Geneva convention. Problem is that UK and EU laws have been poking holes into these entitlements.

But if they're willing to become asylum seekers then under the terms of the convention they have to be allowed to ask for asylum fresh off the plane. Before considering this, though, I'd want to know whether they could end up in 'immigration detention', which sounds hellish.

OP what is your partner’s status here and how long have you been together?

While I think the posts saying he should risk his life and go back there seem harsh, Syria has been unstable for a long time, so how did it come about that he came over here in the first place?

My thought would be that this was his plan all along, come as an economic migrant, get settled with a home, and then bring the family over.

What’s happening in the Middle East is awful, but I would be careful and look after yourself.

The Syria specific scheme closed in 2021 as the target was met and it's a pity the OP's DP didn't try and bring his family over then. Now asylum can only be sought by people already in the UK, not from abroad. Getting his mum and sister to the UK is the challenge as they won't get a visa now to fly directly to the UK. And all other routes are dangerous and sketchy (and illegal). As pp said, it's easier for them to try to get to other safe nations closer to home.

@gloriagloria
Turkey is three times the size of the United Kingdom but has only about 15mil more inhabitants. The population growth has all but stopped in Turkey but in the UK even the most conservative of estimates project rapid growth.
England (where most migrants and refugees settle) is also very densely populated overcrowded at just over 400 inhabitants per sq.km. Finland has 18, Sweden 26, Bulgaria 62, Romania 83, Greece 78, Georgia 55, Norway 15, Iceland nearly 4 people per sq.m...

That's not to say Turkey should take in more of the asylum seekers. But England is most definitely not the answer. Absolutely not.
And I bet there ain't no Finns or Bulgars itching to get their doors open - that is a uniquely British quirk. Whatever happened to "put your own vest on first" - it ain't wise to act all saviour for others when one is nostrils-deep and barely afloat.

No.

As others have mentioned, I think an immigration lawyer would be better to advise here. I doubt it will be a simple process though. The UK is on its arse and when so many hard working British citizens are already struggling and services are so poor, it doesn't go down too well.

The short answer under the Immigration Rules is, "no". There is no general visa provision for a British Citizen to sponsor non-UK in-laws to enter the UK to live here.
The shortish answer under the Immigration Rules if your partner's a refugee in the UK is probably also, "no". You said she is a Syrian citizen; if she has refugee status in the UK it might be possible but it isn't at all likely that she can sponsor her parents and siblings.
See paragraph 7.2 below - www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-family-reunion-protection
Generally speaking a person from Syria would get asylum in the UK, but there's no visa route to come to the UK to claim it. You can't apply for asylum in the UK from outside it.
There are various refugee schemes particularly for Syria and Syrian citizens, including via the UNHCR. Numbers are limited.
They could make an application outside the Immigration Rules on the basis of their relationship with your partner, but it won't be decided all that quickly, and the chances of success are not high.

OP's partner's families are not refugees from war. The Geneva Convention is irrelevant.
The UNHCR 1951 (the Refugee Convention) might be what you mean - nothing to do with Geneva. And if the family is in Syria by definition they aren't refugees. A refugee is a person who is outside his country of origin, and has a well-founded fear of persecution for a Convention Reason (race, religion, etc...). If they are in Syria, they aren't refugees.
The family can apply for refugee status as soon as they get off a plane in the UK - absolutely. But they can't get on a plane to the UK, without a visa. And they won't get a visa to come and seek asylum.

The Rules changed very significantly in 2012. The tax paid by a sponsor is completely irrelevant. It is possible to sponsor an elderly dependent relative under the Immigration Rules, but it's very difficult indeed. Being able to house and maintain the relative is only the start of it - in addition, you need to show that the parent needs long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks due to age, illness or disability and that care must be either not available or not affordable in the country where the applicant is living.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-adult-dependent-relative

I just googled the UK’s number of refugees it’s 231,500, so quite a bit less than 4 million so I wouldn’t say it’s a similar scale.

Obviously also you can’t just put refugees in any bit of land mass, the infrastructure has to be there. Australia for example has huge land mass but much of it is not suitable for most people to live as there is no infrastructure and so would be large parts of Turkey and Iraq.

One of the other countries bordering Syria is the Lebanon. Obviously their infrastructure has literally collapsed because they were recently bombed by Israel. They already host the highest number of refugees per capita and square kilometre. So not a good option either.

But it’s not like we are advocating opening the doors with no restraint. This thread is about a few relatives of someone who already lives in the UK and most kill has residency / citizenship. I think it’s reasonable enough for them to be taken in.

Some real misunderstanding of immigration and visas on this thread. It’s not an online form where you satisfy some criteria and computer says yes. There’s a credibility test and there is no way any visa officer is going to grant a ‘visit’ visa to a Syrian joining someone in the UK at the moment.

To get on a plane to the UK you need passport and visa. Fines are levied on airlines when people manage to get on a flight with false documents.

The schemes to actively bring people over can’t be resurrected while the system is absolutely overwhelmed with the self selected. We can’t choose to protect women and children from war zones while we’re wading through the asylum applications of all the overstayers and boat people.

There is also zero chance of them being detained if they manage to get out and pay a trafficker to get them to the UK somehow. Detention space is saved for people who are a threat or might realistically be refused and removed.

All very very difficult for anyone with family they naturally want to protect. Unfortunately they are up against exhausted nations struggling with massive economic migration.

Vast majority of refugees go to nearest surrounding countries . U.K. take in percentage terms few asylum applications.

“There were 67,337 asylum applications (relating to 84,425 people) in the UK in 2023, 17% lower than the number of applications in 2022 (81,130 applications, relating to 99,939 people). As shown in figure 1, the latest number of applications is 20% lower than the previous peak in 2002 (84,132 applications).’

Figure 1: Asylum applications lodged in the UK, years ending December
2002 to 20231

U.K. takes less than 1% of the global total refugees. Turkey by contrast hosts the largest number of refugees of any country: it is currently giving sanctuary to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, while Jordan and Lebanon host 1.7 million between them.

You clearly don’t understand the situation in Israel and Palestine either! Situations which cause refugees are always complex and include lots of factors, political, economic and cultural as well as often including factors relating to natural resources or natural disasters. It’s often tempting to want a simplified story with “goodies” and “baddies” but it’s never that easy.

Sorry for being cynical, OP, but you're not married and the onus is completely on you to sponsor his family? How long have you been together? I'd be very wary of sending any money, especially money you cannot afford to lose. I definitely wouldn't send money to the family of a relatively new partner, wherever they were living.