Afghans who have been approved for relocation to the UK but cannot afford the costs of evacuation are encountering significant financial and safety challenges, according to recent reports. Many former Afghan special forces members, like Farhad, have had to leave parts of their families behind due to financial constraints. Farhad is now in the UK with three of his children, but he left his wife and three other sons in Afghanistan because he couldn’t afford to bring them all. He and his family were told earlier this year by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) that they must make their own way to a third country before they could access help to travel to Britain. Refugees are often directed to countries like Tajikistan, where they can seek visa assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). However, once in Tajikistan, they face long waits for visa approval and significant financial burdens. For example, Farhad’s hotel room in Dushanbe costs $750 a month, and each visa for him and his children costs $1,050. He borrowed money from friends and former military colleagues to afford the journey. The MoD estimates that fewer than 7,000 people are still to be relocated to the UK, but many cannot afford the visa fees, which have now risen to around $2,000 each, and the costs of accommodation and travel. Those who can afford the journey often have to split up their families to make the escape. Tan Dhesi, chair of the Commons’ defense committee, stated that former Afghan security personnel who served alongside UK forces should not be separated from their families or left in danger while waiting for the UK to fulfill its promises. The committee warned that the current self-move policy risks excluding people the UK has already accepted as eligible for relocation. The government must now set out how it will support those who cannot safely or affordably reach a third country on their own. Another former member of the Afghan security forces, who is in the same hotel as Farhad, said he traveled without his family because only he could secure a visitor visa for Tajikistan. He hopes that when he gets to the UK he will be able to bring his wife, three sons, and five daughters to safety. Hassan, a former engineer in the Afghan special forces, had been waiting four and a half years when he finally received word that he was eligible to come to the UK due to his service with the British. He had his data breached by the MoD in 2022 when the personal details of 18,700 applicants to the Afghan resettlement schemes were accidentally leaked. In the years since the Taliban takeover, he has been living in fear of retribution and moving house with his family to evade detection. He has had to leave his eldest 17-year-old daughter and his mother behind. Days after he arrived in Tajikistan, his teenage son was stopped by police on a visit to the shop and deported back to Afghanistan, where he is back with his grandmother. The rest of the family may soon face a similar fate if their UK travel is not approved as their visas run out in October. Rafi Hottak, a former interpreter for the British army and campaigner for Afghans left behind, said many of those still in Afghanistan "survive only by hiding, frequently changing location and separating from their families." He added that they still face arrest, detention, disappearance, violence, and retaliation against relatives. Mr. Hottak called for support for families trying to evacuate, saying the MoD "must provide practical assistance with visas, travel costs, accommodation, and protection from deportation in third countries. Simply telling vulnerable families to relocate themselves would leave behind those who cannot afford to escape." An MoD spokesperson said it is "absolutely right" to bring Afghans who are eligible, including those who worked alongside UK forces in Afghanistan, to the UK to start a new life. They continue to cover the cost and provision of flights to the UK and provide guidance with the visa process. Since the Taliban takeover, the UK has resettled almost 39,000 Afghan men, women, and children through Afghan resettlement schemes. An IOM spokesperson said that IOM has been supporting the UK MoD since March 2025 and in Tajikistan since May 2026. As part of this cooperation, IOM provides pre-departure support to Afghan nationals found eligible for the Afghan Resettlement Programme, helping individuals and families complete the necessary requirements and travel safely to the UK. This includes health assessments, support with UK visa applications, and pre-departure orientation. IOM's support and role are limited to these areas and do not involve decision-making related to immigration status, stay, or accommodation in Tajikistan.