Asylum
(asked on 21st December 2017) - View Source
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking family reunion with extended family members in the UK have (a) applied for and (b) been granted asylum in exceptional circumstances in each of the last three years.
The Home Office does not record information in such a way to be able to report on the number of people seeking family reunion with extended family members in the UK and an individual cannot apply to be considered for family reunion under the exceptional circumstance arrangements. Instead, they would apply for Family Reunion under the Immigration Rules but, if they are refused under the Rules, the Home Office would then go on to consider whether there are exceptional circumstances.
As such, the figures for applications and visas issued under the Rules and under the exceptional circumstances arrangements are as follows:
| Total number of Family Reunion applications – age at the date of application -under 18 | Total number of Family Reunion applications – age at date of application - over 18 | Total number of Family Reunion visas issued (‘Family Other’ category) | Total number of Family Reunion visas issued under exceptional circumstances arrangements |
2015 | 4,980 | 3,220 | 4,887 | 21 |
2016 | 4,811 | 3,701 | 6,098 | 49 |
2017 (up to 30 September 2017) | 2,625 | 2,821 | 3,801 | 49 |
All those issued a family reunion visa are granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, not asylum. The family reunion application process does not require an assessment of the applicant’s international protection needs. It is the family member in the UK that is required to have been granted refugee status or Humanitarian Protection.