The Travel Assistance Programme has been administered by CFAB on behalf of the Home Office since its introduction in 1970. The project exists to provide some assistance to people with full settled status in the UK who decide that they wish to return permanently to their country of origin.

Over the years the scheme has helped almost 3000 individuals to return to their countries of origin. The scheme undoubtedly saves the UK taxpayer significant sums. 

For further information on the scheme, and to apply for the scheme please contact Marek Ganther on 020 7735 8941.

Rose had lived through the difficulties of apartheid and the imprisonment of her late husband on Robben Island. She had raised her family and they were all grown up and had left home and started their own families. Rose had set up her own business – a small hairdressing salon, and sold insurance on the side. She was reasonably successful by South African standards.

She visited the UK a few years ago and made friends with a man. She returned to South Africa but the friendship grew, and so she returned to the UK for another 6 month visit, before returning again to South Africa. She returned the following year and they began to live together and then got married. Unfortunately life quickly turned sour after the marriage, and her husband began to be verbally, physically and racially abusive towards her. This brought back to her the painful earlier memories she had tried so hard to forget.

Things deteriorated further and she was eventually rescued by the Police and placed in a Women’s Refuge. She was desperate to return to her family and to pick up the pieces of her previous life.

Her application was processed and she was delighted to return home after having applied only four weeks earlier.

FCO

UKBA