The United Kingdom has announced the suspension of its refugee family reunion scheme, a pathway that previously allowed refugees settled in the country to apply for their close relatives to join them.
The decision was disclosed on Monday, September 1, 2025, by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who addressed the House of Commons in London.
According to Cooper, the suspension is temporary and part of broader efforts by the Labour government to address record levels of irregular migration.
Curbing “Pull Factors”
In her remarks, Cooper said the family reunion route — which issued nearly 21,000 visas in the year to June 2025, mostly to women and children was being misused by criminal networks.
“We do need to address the immediate pressures on local authorities and the risks from criminal gangs using family reunion as a pull factor to encourage more people onto dangerous boats,” Cooper told MPs.
She added that further reforms will be introduced later this year, potentially including longer waiting periods before refugees can apply for reunification and “contribution requirements” for family members.
Until then, refugees will be subject to the same family migration rules as everyone else.
Record Asylum Pressures
The suspension comes at a time when Britain is experiencing unprecedented levels of asylum applications.
Over 111,000 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025 the highest number since records began in 2001, according to Home Office data.
More than 50,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel from northern France since Labour’s Keir Starmer became prime minister in July 2024.
The perilous journeys, which also surged under the previous Conservative government, have become a flashpoint in national politics.
Immigration now ranks above the economy and healthcare as Britons’ top concern, according to a recent Ipsos poll.
Labour Under Pressure
The Labour government, elected on promises of “managed borders,” is facing growing criticism over its handling of the crisis.
The right-wing Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, has capitalised on public anger and currently leads Labour in several national opinion polls, even though the next general election is not expected until 2029.
France-UK Deal on Returns
In an attempt to show results, Cooper also confirmed that the government would begin returning migrants to France later this month under a new bilateral “one-in, one-out” agreement.
Under the arrangement, Britain can send back some Channel crossers to France, while agreeing to take in an equal number of migrants legally applying for visas through an online platform.
Priority will reportedly be given to those most vulnerable to smugglers or with family ties in the UK.
“We expect the first returns to begin later this month,” Cooper said.
“Applications have also been opened for the reciprocal legal route, with the first cases under consideration subject to strict security checks.”
The announcement came just days after hundreds of protesters gathered outside a hotel in southern England, demanding the deportation of migrants and foreign offenders.
With asylum claims at record highs, local councils struggling with resettlement pressures, and public anger mounting, Cooper’s suspension of the refugee family reunion route signals that immigration will remain one of the defining political battlegrounds in Britain for years to come.
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