Female Afghan judge wins legal battle to come to UK

A female Afghan judge who was in hiding in Pakistan after fleeing the Taliban has won a landmark right to sanctuary in the UK.

The 53-year-old judge, whose true identity cannot be disclosed due to security concerns but is referred to as Yosra, was granted the right to come to the UK after a long legal battle with the Home Office.

She and her adult son crossed the border into Pakistan where they went into hiding after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Initially, the Home Office refused to grant Yosra and her son permission to come to the UK, although they had been told they were eligible under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy.

The Home Office has now accepted the pair to the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme. They recently arrived here and have been able to reunite with British relatives.

This case could open the door for many other vulnerable Afghans in hiding in Pakistan who are eligible for one of the UK resettlement schemes but have so far not been granted permission to enter the country.