Yvette Cooper to suspend new refugee family reunion applications as she unveils asylum crackdown – live

Over the past decade, the number of people coming on the refugee family reunion route has approached the number of asylum applicants.

There have been around 164,000 successful asylum applicants over this period, with 123,800 grants given to their family and dependants.

Now, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that new applications for the refugee family reunion route will be “temporarily” suspended.

However, family members and dependants of refugees will still be able to apply in this period, under the wider family migration routes — which have stricter conditions.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper concluded her statement by saying: “What we will never do it seek to stir up chaos, division or hate, because that is not who we are as a country, and that is not what Britain stands for.

“Because when we wave the Union flag, when we wave the St George’s flag, when we sing God Save The King and celebrate everything that is great about Britain and about our country, we do so with pride because of the values that our flags, our King and our country represent: togetherness, fairness and decency, respect for each other, respect for the rule of law.

“That is what our country stands for, that is the British way to fix the problems we face.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government will use “legal and controlled support” to help people fleeing persecution.

She told the Commons: “We will continue to do our bit to support Ukraine, extending the Ukraine permission extension scheme by a further 24 months, with further details to be set out in due course.

“We’re also taking immediate action to rescue children who have been seriously injured in a horrendous onslaught on civilians in Gaza so they can get the health treatment they need.

“I can confirm that the Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for children and their immediate accompanying family members.

“And we have done the same for all the Chevening scholars and are in the process of doing so now for the next group of students from Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships and places at UK universities so they can start their studies in autumn this year.

“And later this year, we will set out plans to establish a permanent framework for refugee students to come study in the UK, so we can help more talented young people fleeing war and persecution to find a better future alongside capped and managed ways for refugees to work here in the UK.”

Responding to news that refugee family reunion applications will be suspended, Mubeen Bhutta, director of policy at British Red Cross said the changes will mainly impact women and children who are already living in danger, such as war zones.

She added: “Today’s announcement will separate families and cut off one of the only safe and managed routes for children to seek protection. The vast majority of people who use family reunion visas are children and women – often trapped in very dangerous situations.“

“Parents who arrive in the UK tell us they cannot live their lives until they know their children are safe. We strongly urge the government not to suspend refugee family reunion, which will have a devastating impact on the lives of refugees and potentially risk more children making a dangerous journey to the UK in order to rejoin their parent.”

Sir Keir Starmer wants to close asylum hotels “as quickly as possible”, his official spokesperson said, but declined to give a deadline.

Asked if there is a specific date, the spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister has spoken about this earlier in his interviews, talked about the fact that he wants to close these hotels as quickly as possible, and the way to do that is to work through the backlog.”

The Government has committed to emptying all hotels housing migrants by the end of the parliament, which could be as late as 2029.

The spokesperson added that Sir Keir “previously made a manifesto commitment to closing them all by the end of the parliament, he spoke about obviously wanting to do that as quickly as possible”.

Neil Hudson, the Conservative MP for Epping Forest, has urged Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to close The Bell Hotel, saying the “community is in distress”.

Last week, the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court interim injunction against the hotel housing asylum seekers, after the Home Office challenged the decision.

There have been protests outside the hotel for months after one of its inhabitants, a male asylum seeker, was charged with sexually assaulting a teenager. He denies the charges.

“Our community is in distress. The situation is untenable,” Mr Hudson said.

“This week the schools are back. The hotel is in the wrong place, right near a school, and many concerned parents have contacted me.

“When will the home secretary and the government listen to us address this issue and do the right and safe thing and close The Bell Hotel immediately.”

Ms Cooper reiterated her earlier remarks that the hotel, like all asylum hotels, would close, but it would be done in an “orderly” way over time.

Changes announced by Yvette Cooper to the refugee family reunion route will “push more desperate people into the arms of smugglers”, a leading refugee charity has said.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, responded to the home secretary’s announcement, saying: “Until now, family reunion has been one of the only safe and legal routes available that allows refugees fleeing war and persecution to be reunited with their partner and children. It is only for immediate family of people who have already been through the process of being recognised as refugees and overwhelmingly supports women and children – who made up nine out of ten visas granted through this route in the last year.”

He added: “Far from stopping people taking dangerous journeys to cross the Channel, these changes will only push more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones.

“This is not who we are as a country – we should not be forcing children to grow up without their parents.

Family reunion is a lifeline. It enables refugees to rebuild their lives, integrate more quickly, and contribute to their communities.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government will use “legal and controlled support” to help people fleeing persecution.

She told the Commons: “We will continue to do our bit to support Ukraine, extending the Ukraine permission extension scheme by a further 24 months, with further details to be set out in due course.

“We’re also taking immediate action to rescue children who have been seriously injured in a horrendous onslaught on civilians in Gaza so they can get the health treatment they need.

“I can confirm that the Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for children and their immediate accompanying family members.

“And we have done the same for all the Chevening scholars and are in the process of doing so now for the next group of students from Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships and places at UK universities so they can start their studies in autumn this year.

“And later this year, we will set out plans to establish a permanent framework for refugee students to come study in the UK, so we can help more talented young people fleeing war and persecution to find a better future alongside capped and managed ways for refugees to work here in the UK.”