Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Statement in relation to legal routes from the EU for protection claimants including family reunion of unaccompanied children, published on 8 February, when they intend to fulfil their commitment to review legal routes of entry to the UK for people seeking asylum and refugee family reunion, including for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in EU member states seeking to join relatives in the UK.

The Government has committed to review safe and legal routes to the UK and has a statutory duty to conduct a public consultation on family reunion for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the EU.

This review and public consultation will cover legal routes by which protection claimants who are in the EU can enter the UK, to reunite with family members. The review will go beyond those who are in the EU, reflecting our new global approach to the immigration system. This wider review of safe and legal routes will fully address our statutory duties as set out in the Act and the timetable of the two will run together.

The Home Secretary has set out the Government’s ambition to overhaul our approach to asylum and illegal migration, delivering a firm but fair system, including bringing forward new legislation this year. The review and consultation are an important part of this.