Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Priti Patel

Monday 10th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

1. What plans she has to maintain the legal route to family reunion for refugees and asylum seekers in the EU with family in the UK after the transition period.

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel)]

The UK has a long and proud tradition of offering protection to vulnerable people who are fleeing war and persecution, and this Government take the welfare of vulnerable children extremely seriously. We support the principle of family unity wholeheartedly.

[Liz Twist]

If the Government are as committed as Ministers have repeatedly said they are to maintaining children’s ability to join family members in the UK, then rather than waiting for the outcome of negotiations, will the Home Office not get on the front foot and make some much-needed changes to domestic legislation? The changes could be made tomorrow and provide certainty for the many hundreds of families who can currently be reunited through the Dublin regulation.

[Priti Patel]

The hon. Lady will be more than aware of the work that we do to provide safe and legal routes for family reunion, and for vulnerable persons and children. She has heard me say that we are fully committed to supporting the most vulnerable children and the principle of family reunion. It is a fact that we are about to negotiate with the European Union. I set out the Government’s position clearly in communications and correspondence with the European Commission at the end of last year, and that is the route we will be pursuing.