Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure continued UK participation in EU refugee cooperation if the UK leaves the EU.

Until we leave the EU, the UK remains bound by EU asylum legislation, where we have opted in. We have already committed to seek an agreement under which unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the EU can join close family in the UK, and vice versa, where it is in their best interest when we leave the EU.

We expect this to be part of a wider package of cooperation on asylum and migration with our European allies once the UK leaves the EU, and we are considering a full range of options to ensure that effective cooperation is enshrined in our future relationship. Any final agreement will be a matter for negotiations.

Beyond legislative obligations, we nevertheless remain committed to cooperation with Europe, and globally, to address refugee and migration issues.