Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will review the impact of the closure of English language testing hubs in Afghanistan for spouses of people already granted refugee status in UK.

There are no requirements for family members of refugees applying under the family reunion provisions in part 11 of the Immigration Rules to meet the English language requirements.

With respect to the wider family Immigration Rules, the Government believes those seeking to enter and make a permanent home in the UK should be equipped to integrate successfully in UK society, with an appropriate level of English and an understanding of British life.

There are no plans to suspend the requirement for spouses specifically from Afghanistan to pass an English language test to enter the UK.

However, under the Rules an applicant can be exempted from the English language requirement to enter the UK if a decision maker considers there are exceptional circumstances preventing the applicant from meeting the requirement.

The applicant must demonstrate, as a result of exceptional circumstances, they are unable to learn English before coming to the UK or it is not practicable or reasonable for them to travel to another country to take an approved English language test.

Each application for an exemption on the basis of exceptional circumstances will be considered on its merits on a case-by-case basis.