The UK plans to tighten restrictions on refugees’ ability to reunite with family members in the country | Migration and asylum policy change

Ministers are planning to restrict the ability for refugees to bring family members to the UK as part of a package of measures that Yvette Cooper will announce on Monday. She aims to address the controversial issue of irregular migration. Cooper will inform MPs of a series of changes to the treatment of asylum cases, including revisions to the family reunion policy, which officials believe is motivating individuals to cross the Channel. This statement to the Commons will attempt to draw a line under a challenging summer for the government, marked by protests and legal battles over the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers. Cooper will emphasize the government’s commitment to strengthening border security, increasing returns, and overhauling the flaws in the asylum system, stating that these actions are necessary to address the chaos they inherited and end the excessive use of costly asylum hotels. She will also criticize any unrealistic proposals suggested by other parties, such as Nigel Farage’s plan to deport most of those crossing the Channel in small boats. Cooper promises to reform the UK’s family reunion policy, which has seen a sharp increase in visas granted since 2022. She plans to study similar measures introduced in other countries, including requiring financial stability before family members can join refugees in the UK. Additionally, Cooper will confirm changes to the asylum process, with the power to hear appeals being transferred from judges to a panel of trained experts, aiming to expedite the process. The government will also highlight the number of disruptions made to people-smuggling operations, citing the highest level of enforcement actions recorded in 2024-25. Despite a recent lull in small boat crossings, public anger persists over the ongoing use of hotels for asylum seekers.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/01/uk-to-make-it-harder-for-refugees-to-bring-family-members-to-country