Britains Labour government is set to announce major plans to curb immigration by ending a key asylum benefit that allowed refugees to bring their family members to the UK. The move, intended to quell a national debate and counter pressure from the far-right, will be outlined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at an EU leaders summit in Copenhagen on Thursday, October 2.The new policy will scrap the refugee family reunion scheme and end automatic settlement rights for those granted asylum. Applications for family reunions were already paused last month.The fundamental reforms will be the basis of a fairer system where the route to settlement should be longer, and be earned via contribution to the country, the UK government said in a statement late Wednesday. Under the policy change, migrants granted refugee status will no longer receive automatic resettlement. Instead, they will face a new, longer route to settlement requiring them to contribute and will lose the automatic right to family reunion, the government confirmed. Were making fundamental changes to what those granted asylum are afforded in the UK, Starmer said in a statement. The UK will continue to play its role in welcoming genuine refugees fleeing persecution. But there will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it. Starmers government has sought to take a tougher stance against record levels of both legal and irregular immigration to head off the rise of the anti-immigration, hard-right Reform UK party. The suspension of new family reunion applications began in September, primarily to deter thousands of migrants from crossing the Channel from France in small boats. Home Office figures show that almost 21,000 refugee family reunion visas were issued in the year to June 2025, with the vast majority going to women and children. This comes as the UK faces a surge in asylum applications, with over 111,000 people applying in the year to June 2025the highest number since records began in 2001. Additionally, more than 30,000 migrants have made the dangerous Channel crossing so far this year. The policy drew immediate criticism. Jon Featonby from the Refugee Council charity warned that restricting family reunion would damage integration, make refugees feel unsafe, and force children to grow up without their parents. He argued, In reality, restricting family reunion only pushes more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones.The announcement follows an earlier move this week when Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced new requirements for legal migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain, including having a job, not claiming benefits, and undertaking volunteer community work. Starmer also previously said the government would review how UK courts interpret human rights law to curb immigration levels and deport more migrants. The post UK to scrap refugee family reunion route and end automatic settlement appeared first on TIME.I.NG.
Britains Labour government is set to announce major plans to curb immigration by ending a key asylum benefit that allowed refugees to bring their family members to the UK. The move, intended to quell a national debate and counter pressure from the far-right, will be outlined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at an EU leaders summit in Copenhagen on Thursday, October 2.The new policy will scrap the refugee family reunion scheme and end automatic settlement rights for those granted asylum. Applications for family reunions were already paused last month.The fundamental reforms will be the basis of a fairer system where the route to settlement should be longer, and be earned via contribution to the country, the UK government said in a statement late Wednesday. Under the policy change, migrants granted refugee status will no longer receive automatic resettlement. Instead, they will face a new, longer route to settlement requiring them to contribute and will lose the automatic right to family reunion, the government confirmed. Were making fundamental changes to what those granted asylum are afforded in the UK, Starmer said in a statement. The UK will continue to play its role in welcoming genuine refugees fleeing persecution. But there will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it. Starmers government has sought to take a tougher stance against record levels of both legal and irregular immigration to head off the rise of the anti-immigration, hard-right Reform UK party. The suspension of new family reunion applications began in September, primarily to deter thousands of migrants from crossing the Channel from France in small boats. Home Office figures show that almost 21,000 refugee family reunion visas were issued in the year to June 2025, with the vast majority going to women and children. This comes as the UK faces a surge in asylum applications, with over 111,000 people applying in the year to June 2025the highest number since records began in 2001. Additionally, more than 30,000 migrants have made the dangerous Channel crossing so far this year. The policy drew immediate criticism. Jon Featonby from the Refugee Council charity warned that restricting family reunion would damage integration, make refugees feel unsafe, and force children to grow up without their parents. He argued, In reality, restricting family reunion only pushes more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones.The announcement follows an earlier move this week when Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced new requirements for legal migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain, including having a job, not claiming benefits, and undertaking volunteer community work. Starmer also previously said the government would review how UK courts interpret human rights law to curb immigration levels and deport more migrants. The post UK to scrap refugee family reunion route and end automatic settlement appeared first on TIME.I.NG.