Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on the number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in EU countries who have a family connection to the UK.

Under the EU Dublin III Regulation, it is the responsibility of the Member State where the unaccompanied asylum-seeking child is currently present to identify the Member State responsible for processing their asylum claim. Where there is evidence the responsible Member State is the UK based on qualifying family connections, we work closely with Member States to transfer eligible children to the UK where it is in their best interest to do so. We continue to meet our commitments under the Dublin III Regulation and work closely with EU Member States and partners to ensure it operates efficiently in respect of both adults and children.

Outside of the Dublin III Regulation, our Family Reunion Immigration Rules allow children to join their refugee parents, and there are also specific provisions that allow extended family members lawfully resident in the UK to sponsor unaccompanied children where there are serious and compelling circumstances. We have reunited over 24,000 partners and children with their families under our family reunion policy in the last five years.