London: A pregnant Eritrean woman and her daughter who have been stranded in Sudan for more than a year while they wait for their UK visas have put themselves in danger, a charity official warned.

According to The Guardian, the mother, who is almost nine months pregnant, and her 3-year-old daughter are stuck in Khartoum as the capital is engulfed in violence.

The mother's British-based husband is a refugee who is working to get his family back. Initially, they left Eritrea to settle in the neighbouring Sudan, but they later made the decision that the father should go to Britain and apply for asylum.

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The mother and child applied for a family reunion application in February 2022 so that all three could travel to Britain, but despite the UK Home Office giving them a 12-week estimate, they have not yet received any news.

"My wife, who is almost nine months pregnant, and my young daughter are trapped on the streets of Khartoum," the husband said. The fighting caused damage to their house.

"The hospitals are closed, and they have limited access to food and water. My wife is resilient, but the circumstances are dire. I'm unable to sleep and am unsure of our course of action.

"My wife, daughter, and unborn child would all be safely in the UK right now if the Home Office had processed the family reunion visa when they were supposed to," the man said.

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According to government guidelines, people who are awaiting family reunion visas should hold off contacting the Home Office for updates for nine months.

The following was stated in a statement: "We apologise for the delay and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our processing timescales."
According to the man, many other people, including Sudanese and Eritreans, are probably in the same situation as his wife.

He pleaded with the Home Office in a statement to hasten the issuance of visas, saying, "Do something, please, please."

"Sudanese men, women, and children can't wait nine months for a decision on their family reunion case when they need a safe route right now," said Emily Graham, director of campaigns at Safe Passage International.

"This government should take every possible step to assist refugees in finding safety and family in the UK."

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A spokesperson for the Home Office stated: "We continue to process applications as quickly as possible and are proud to have reunited tens of thousands of people with their family members in the UK through our refugee family reunion route. We don't typically comment on specific cases