“MY BROTHER is not just blood, he is my best friend. We were always together in Eritrea but we were separated when we had to leave,” explained Imran. 

“When I was held by the smugglers in Libya — I couldn’t speak to him for months, it was so hard.

“When I made it to Ventimiglia (Italy), I called him straight away. He just said: ‘Brother, I am so happy…I can’t speak right now, I can’t. I will call you when I can speak again’. 

“It took him two days to be able to call me back and then he told me he was holding a party because I was alive, and we could be together again.” 

Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you have cousins that you just have a real connection with?

For most of us there’s nothing quite like family to make you feel secure and safe. Well, if we feel like this, how do you think it makes young refugees feel? Family means everything.

After caring for refugees in Northern France for a number of years Care4Calais knows just that. So many want to reach Britain for a powerful reason that most of us can understand. To join family members.  

Aunts, uncles, siblings who are already living in Britain not only have space to take them in but also offer them hope, sanctuary and love. 

Most have escaped war-torn, violent environments and spent months on dangerous journeys to escape. It’s only a matter of miles but, for those stuck in Calais, it might as well be light years away. On a clear day, you can see the white cliffs of Dover. 

Britain’s family reunion laws are brutally restrictive. This means that most people who reach Calais — even if they have family over the Channel — will not be allowed into the country.

For young people especially, getting so close to family in Britain but being turned away at the last minute can be devastating.

Imagine how you would feel if you had spent weeks without anyone you could trust, confide in or rely on — being within touching distance of your loved ones — and being told you must return to the dangerous country you have just fled.

Take the story of Imran who had to flee Eritrea after it became dangerous for him to stay there. His brother was already in Britain and he decided his best hope of safety was to join him.

Imran made the dangerous journey north to Libya, where smugglers locked him up, electrocuted him and threatened to shoot him.

Eventually, he made it across the Mediterranean to Italy and from there on to northern France.

But Imran is stuck. The authorities won’t let him travel across the Channel to claim asylum in Britain so he can be recognised as a refugee with his brother.

And our restrictive family reunion rules mean that there is no way for him to be transferred here either.

“My brother does everything he can to help me and we speak as often as possible. But he cannot help me reach him safely. And that is all we want — to have our new life together. Work hard and be together.”

Families are what make us. They support us and help us in times of need. These brothers have already been through so much.  

Now we have a chance to change that. We are asking the home office to change the law to allow these brothers to be reunited.

Care4Calais is a humanitarian charity based in Northern France since 2015. We are on the ground every day providing urgently needed aid to people seeking refuge in Europe who are located in the Calais region and beyond, including Paris and Belgium. 

Please, please, please go to —  petitions.care4calais.org and sign and share our petition now. 

We are also always looking for volunteers and fundraisers to help us achieve the work we do.

If you think you can help then please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you! Why not join in with our #Packs4Calais campaign?

To find out more about Care4Calais, its Packs4Calais campaign or about volunteering, visit care4calais.org.