Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to resume refugee family reunion.

The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years.

Outstanding applications will continue to be considered under the family reunion rules in place prior to the commencement of the suspension, including those that are at appeal.

During the suspension, the Government is taking forward wider asylum and family reforms to place the system on a fairer, controlled and sustainable footing. Further information on forthcoming changes will be set out in due course. In the meantime, other family routes remain available, including Appendix FM.

Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.

We will encourage refugees to switch out of the Core Protection route wherever possible into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

Refugees granted refugee status or humanitarian protection (as well as those arriving under one of the UK’s resettlement schemes) have immediate access to the labour market and benefits, including employment support from Department for Work and Pensions work coaches. Unemployed refugees are eligible for full funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages learning.