Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Statement on Asylum Policy of 17 of November, Official Report column 509, what the qualifying tests for family reunion for refugees applying through the work and study route will be.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
A refugee who is given core protection will have no automatic right to bring family to the UK. Refugees will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route. This will enable them to earn down their length of time before they can settle in the UK from 20 years.
The Government will set out the requirements and timelines in due course.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending (a) visa and (b) asylum routes for people fleeing conflict in Sudan with British national immediate family members in the UK by (i) waiving income rules, (ii) allowing asylum applications to be made in third party countries and (c) bringing forward other measures to help reunite families separated by conflict.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Sudanese nationals who wish to come to the UK to join a family member here need a family visa. Applications can be made for a family visa to live with a spouse or partner; fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner; parent; child; relative who is providing care.
The financial requirements form part of the ‘core’ requirements of the Family Immigration Rules. Expecting family migrants and their sponsors to be financially independent is reasonable, both to them and the taxpayer.
However, where someone cannot meet the core requirements, including those relating to finances, permission will still be granted where refusal would breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
As part of the Immigration White Paper reforms, the government intends to set out a new family policy that will cover all UK residents, including those who are British, settled, on work routes or refugees seeking to bring family members to the UK.
The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes. However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, including the current situation in Sudan, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might wish to come here. It is important that safe and legal routes are sustainable, well managed and in line with the UK’s capacity to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees. We do not currently have any plans to open a specific route for people affected by the conflict in Sudan.
Additionally, the recently announced Asylum Policy Statement set out a new model for refugee resettlement. We will give greater say to communities and support refugees as they settle, become self-sufficient, and contribute to their local areas. This new model will be based on local capacity to support refugees, and arrival numbers will be tightly controlled by the government.
To achieve this, we will:
• Reform refugee sponsorship to give voluntary and community sector organisations a greater role in resettlement through named sponsorship, within caps set by government.
• Introduce a capped route for refugee and displaced students to study in the UK, helping talented refugees to continue their studies, realise their potential and be able to return to their country and help rebuild it as soon as circumstances allow.
• Establish a capped route for skilled refugees and displaced people to come to the UK for work, building on the experience of the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot.
Our intention is that those arriving on the reformed resettlement routes will be on the ten-year route to settlement. However, this will be subject to wider consultation.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the suspension of refugee family reunion routes on trends in levels of people attempting to cross the Channel in small boats.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office recognises that the suspension may affect families seeking reunification, particularly women and children.
However, the suspension is temporary and our approach still considers the overriding objective of family unity as alternative family routes will continue to be available. A partner or child of a person with protection status can apply under Appendix FM.
It is not possible to estimate the potential impact of the suspension on family migration applications or small boat arrivals, as there are a significant number of variables, including the measures we are putting in place as part of our wider strategy for preventing illegal and irregular migration, to stop individuals making these dangerous journeys across the Channel and risking lives in the process.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the suspension of refugee family reunification routes on the safety of (a) women and (b) children seeking to come to the UK.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office recognises that the suspension may affect families seeking reunification, particularly women and children.
However, the suspension is temporary and our approach still considers the overriding objective of family unity as alternative family routes will continue to be available. A partner or child of a person with protection status can apply under Appendix FM.
It is not possible to estimate the potential impact of the suspension on family migration applications or small boat arrivals, as there are a significant number of variables, including the measures we are putting in place as part of our wider strategy for preventing illegal and irregular migration, to stop individuals making these dangerous journeys across the Channel and risking lives in the process.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) gathering documentation and (b) submitting biometrics on people submitting refugee family reunion applications; and whether she plans to reduce those requirements in future changes to refugee family reunion.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The family reunion route is temporarily suspended for a short period until Spring 2026. The Home Office is reviewing the route, with the intention to set out and implement those changes from then.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to exempt (a) unaccompanied children seeking to reunite with parents already in the UK and (b) families facing (i) conflict, (ii) persecution and (iii) medical emergencies from future changes to refugee family reunion.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The family reunion route is temporarily suspended for a short period until Spring 2026. The Home Office is reviewing the route, with the intention to set out and implement those changes from then.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the review of refugee family reunion will consider the optimisation of decision making to reduce the need for appeals.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The family reunion route is temporarily suspended for a short period until Spring 2026. The Home Office is reviewing the route, with the intention to set out and implement those changes from then.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the affordability of visa application and renewal fees under the family route.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review; however, the Home Office provides for exceptions to the need to pay application fees in a number of specific circumstances. These include affordability-based waivers for entry clearance and leave to remain on family and human rights grounds.
Considerations regarding fees charged on the family route have also been addressed in published Equalities Impact Assessment, which can be found at the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/363/pdfs/uksiod_20250363_en_001.pdf.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department carried out an economic impact assessment prior to suspending refugee family reunion.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Impacts on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we consider equality impacts throughout the policy development process, refugee family reunion is no exception.
The Home Office has carried out and published an Economic Note on the changes to the Immigration Rules on 4 September 2025.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department carried out an equality impact assessment prior to suspending refugee family reunion.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Impacts on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we consider equality impacts throughout the policy development process, refugee family reunion is no exception.
The Home Office has carried out and published an Economic Note on the changes to the Immigration Rules on 4 September 2025.