Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits for the integration of refugees of changing the definition of family to include children aged over 18 in the refugee family reunion rules.

Family connections are an important enabler of integration. However, amending Government policy on family reunion without careful thought could significantly increase the numbers who could qualify to come here, not just from conflict regions but any country from which someone is granted protection. This risks reducing our capacity to assist the most vulnerable refugees.

Our policy makes clear that there is discretion to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules, which caters for extended family members in exceptional circumstances – including young adult sons or daughters who are dependent on family here and living in dangerous situations.