The United Kingdom‘s Labour government has announced that it is suspending a scheme enabling registered refugees to bring family members into the country, amid soaring support for the far-right in opinion polls.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on Monday that she was “temporarily” suspending new applications to the refugee family reunion route as the government draws up new rules set to be introduced by spring next year.
This move has been met with criticism from refugee charities, who argue that it will leave children fleeing war and persecution in countries like Afghanistan, Sudan, or Iran “trapped in danger”.
Cooper justified the suspension by stating that the system has to be controlled and managed based on fair and properly enforced rules, not chaos and exploitation driven by criminal smuggler gangs.
She also cited the increasing number of family reunion applications, which have placed pressure on housing across the country, with many applying to bring relatives over within about a month. One of the planned reforms would mean longer waiting periods before applying.
Refugee charities have blasted the move, accusing the government of “giving in to far-right pressure”. Safe Passage, which supports child refugees, said that the suspension would leave children fleeing war and persecution in countries like Afghanistan, Sudan, or Iran “trapped in danger”.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said that the changes would only push more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones.
The suspension comes as Labour faces pressure from Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party, which has whipped up anger over people arriving in small boats over the English Channel from France.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that he will accelerate plans to empty the asylum hotels.
The government has been eager to demonstrate it is tackling a problem left by previous Conservative-led administrations by brokering return deals with other nations and speeding up the processing of asylum claims.
Cooper also announced that the UK and France will start implementing a “one in, one out” pilot scheme later this month, with the former sending refugees and asylum seekers to the latter in exchange for approved applicants.
“Applications have also been opened for the reciprocal legal route, with the first cases under consideration subject to strict security checks,” she said, adding that “family groups” would be prioritized under the deal with France.
The UK’s decision to suspend refugee family reunion applications has sparked controversy, with refugee charities accusing the government of giving in to far-right pressure.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this policy will affect refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. One thing is clear, however: the UK’s immigration policies are under intense scrutiny, and the government’s response will have significant implications for those seeking refuge in the country.