Sweeta was a successful Afghan businesswoman and activist for women’s rights who established a  jewellery business and worked for a women’s organisation to promote women’s skills and work outside the home. In addition, she worked in Afghan Women’s TV as a writer and Arts presenter. 

In 2018 when attending a film awards ceremony ,she was forced to seek asylum in the UK and immediately granted leave to remain, in recognition of the dangers she was facing.

For the last 4 years she has tried to rescue and be reunited with her two children, mother and sisters. When her lawyer said that all paperwork had been submitted, she arranged a visa for them to go to relative safety in Pakistan to wait for UK family reunion visas.  But they were refused.
The solicitor had  submitted the wrong forms and is now being investigated for malpractice in this and many other cases. . That is no help to Sweeta or her family who are now stranded in Pakistan without resources and unable to return to Afghanistan where the situation for women worsens by the day.

Sweeta  is hard-working, creative and entrepreneurial. She learnt English from scratch on arrival in the UK and last year was both recognised as ESOL student of the Year by her local FE college and completed a Welsh Government sponsored fast track business course with flying colours. She was even accepted onto a law degree course in a local university. Unfortunately the terrible anxiety about her family is affecting her mental health and has forced her to withdraw from activities.
The UK saved Sweeta but the rest of her family are in a dangerous limbo. A year after the Taliban returned to power the situation for girls and women in Afghanistan is dire. 

Sweeta is a friend of ours , now living in Swansea. Please join with us in asking the Home Office  to look kindly upon her and help her to be reunited with her children and her mother and sisters who have been ‘parents’ to the children for 4 very long difficult years.  Please grant them visas