Refugees trying to reunite with their family members who already live in the UK are facing new challenges as the rules are reformed.
New applications to the existing refugee family reunion route are being suspended this week, which means refugees trying to reach the UK will be covered by ‘the same family migration rules and conditions as everyone else’.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Labour government is trying to prevent criminal gangs from using family reunion to encourage more people to attempt dangerous Channel small boat crossings.
She said the suspension will be temporary while the Home Office works on changes to the asylum and family reunion systems, hoped to be rolled out next spring.
But the Refugee Council fears the changes will ‘push more desperate people into the arms of smugglers’.
Speaking to the House of Commons today, Ms Cooper said: ‘We continue to believe families staying together is important, and it’s why we will seek to prioritise family groups among the applicants to come to Britain under our new deal with France.
‘But reforms are needed. We will set out a new system for family migration, including looking at contribution requirements, longer periods before newly granted refugees can apply, and dedicated controlled arrangements for unaccompanied children and for those fleeing persecution who have family in the UK.
‘We aim to have some of those changes in place for the spring.
Want to know more about the government and how their policies affect you?
Hello, I’m Craig Munro and I’m Metro‘s man in Westminster.
Every Wednesday, I write our Alright, Gov? newsletter with insights from behind the scenes in the Houses of Parliament – and how the decisions made there will end up affecting you.
In last week’s newsletter I wrote about the potential ramifications of the Epping hotel decision and whether or not we should be worried about taxes going up.
Click here to sign up
‘But in the meantime, we do need to address the immediate pressures on local authorities and the risks from criminal gangs using family reunion as a pull factor to encourage more people onto dangerous boats.
‘Therefore, we are bringing forward new immigration rules this week to temporarily suspend new applications under the existing dedicated refugee family reunion route.
‘Until the new framework is introduced, refugees will be covered by the same family migration rules and conditions as everyone else.’
Ms Cooper also said in the Commons that the speed at which refugees apply for family reunion has increased rapidly in recent years.
Before the pandemic refugees would apply after one or two years in the UK – but now these applications come in on average about a month after the person is granted asylum, sometimes before they’ve even left asylum accommodation.
This means refugee families are more likely to require homelessness assistance, and in some council areas reunited refugee families can make up more than a quarter of its applications, which Ms Cooper said was ‘not sustainable’.
She also warned the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats before claiming refugee family reunion has ‘increased sharply’ in recent years, suggesting smuggler gangs are using the ‘promise of family reunion’ to promote the dangerous journey.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council charity, said: ‘Until now, family reunion has been one of the only safe and legal routes available that allows refugees fleeing war and persecution to be reunited with their partner and children.
‘It is only for immediate family of people who have already been through the process of being recognised as refugees and overwhelmingly supports women and children – who made up nine out of 10 visas granted through this route in the last year.
‘Far from stopping people taking dangerous journeys to cross the Channel, these changes will only push more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones.
‘This is not who we are as a country – we should not be forcing children to grow up without their parents.
‘Family reunion is a lifeline. It enables refugees to rebuild their lives, integrate more quickly, and contribute to their communities.’
Ms Cooper also announced a new independent body will be created in an attempt to speed up asylum appeals.
She said the new body will be ‘staffed by professionally trained adjudicators’ able to ‘accelerate and prioritise cases’ and tackle ‘repeat applications and unnecessary delays’.
Meanwhile, the government also plans to increase capacity at detention and returns facilities, including 1,000 beds being added at Campsfield and Haslar Immigration Removal Centres.
Ms Cooper said this would ‘support many thousands more enforced removals each year’.
She added: ‘It is the British way to do our bit alongside other countries to help those who need sanctuary, but the system has to be controlled and managed based on fair and properly enforced rules, not chaos and exploitation driven by criminal smuggler gangs.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
