Yweet cooper‘S New refuge crack More dangerous channels can fuel crossing because women and children have left in war areas, attempting to reunite with their loved ones in Britain, British red cross has warned.
The Home Secretary on Monday announced a suspension on the reunion applications of the new refugee family, a route that allows Refugees Stay legally in the UK to apply to bring members of their close family to security.
Charity, which has years of experience supporting refugee families for reunion in UK, warned Dangerous irregular travel for the UK.
Write IndependentAlex Fraser, director of refugee services at the British Red Cross, stated that the impact of Ms. Cooper’s announcement “can potentially see children different from a parent, which is stuck in conflict or disaster areas”.
In the year from June 2025, a record 20,817 refugee family was reunited. In the last decade, 92 percent of these were released to women and children.
He wrote: “Families will have to face rigorous options in those years – either trying to survive during long wait for safety, or potentially putting the option at risk – a dangerous journey in Britain to try to re -add their family.”
Small boat crossing has increased under labor, more than 29,000 people have traveled so far this year, from 21,052 people for the same period in 2024.
Mr. Fraser also warned that a ban on the family reunion visa can “reduce the safety ability of refugees to properly integrate in its communities in the country”.
“We know that living with close family members is important for people’s mental health and their ability to integrate in communities,” they write. “Many people tell us that they cannot start living again until they know that their loved ones are safe.”
About three quarters of the British Red Cross Support are expected to re -connect with their parents in Britain, with Mr. Fraser, who helped 288 families last year, said Mr. Fraser.
He gave an example of a 9-month-old child, who separated from both his parents during the conflict in Sudan and left in the care of his elderly grandmother. Dan was capable of re -connecting her parents with her son on time for her second birthday.
Although he said that the process was easy away from, it “introduced a way of safety, hope and families together to rebuild their lives together”. But he warned that any new scheme resulted in “more obstacles”.
“When families are together, we see them flourishing. It is important that we save this lifeline for those torn people,” he wrote.
Announcing the MPs in Parliament on the first day, MPs returned to Westminster after the summer holiday, Ms. Cooper said that new applications would be suspended until the new rules are presented, which will probably be in place for the next spring.
These new requirements are expected to include a fresh waiting period, high levels of English language skills and financial requirements before an application is submitted. The refugees have to allegedly wait for two years before they can submit an application to their families.
Accurate requirements remain to be outlined but Home office officials pledged in a policy document published earlier this year “To ensure that people coming to the UK have a reasonable level of English language skills, which is capable of integrating effectively in local communities”.
The plans will also ensure that the family unit has financial money to support any migrants without trusting the taxpayer “.
Ms. Cooper said that before the epidemic, the newly formed refugees waited after one or two years of grant of grant of their protection to apply to bring their families to the UK. However, after giving refugee protection, applications are being made for one month on an average.
Ms. Cooper told the MPs that it is affecting the council’s homeless residence, as refugee families who cannot support themselves are turning to local authorities for emergency housing assistance.
Under previous rules, refugees do not need to meet any financial or housing requirements to apply, and their family does not need to complete any English language tests. This is contrary to other reunion routes, such as British citizens want to bring their partners into the UK, which need to complete some income limit.
Other donations and campaigners warned that such steps by the government could push more asylum seekers towards small boat crossings.
Flora Alexander, UK director of the International Rescue Committee, said: “Reducing access to those wishing to reunite with loved ones is not a solution to the system pressure – it risks the risk of pushing more people towards dangerous trips and represents one step away from compassion and general knowledge”.
He said that the suspension of the route was “deeply to worrying” because “the reunion of the family is one of the best routes for a migration system that is both human and systematic”.
Syl Rrenolds, head of advocacy of refuge in charity freedom from torture, said: “No one should not wait for years to be able to resume their lives, whether it is due to decision making and appeal delays or the cruel and unnecessary suspension of the reunion of the refugee family.”