We are shocked and dismayed at the Home Secretary’s decision to suspend one of the few safe routes available to sanctuary seekers. The move will devastate families and put vulnerable people at risk.
Dr Hari Reed, Joint CEO of Asylum Welcome, told LBC Radio:
“I was listening to the announcement with my colleagues in the office, and I have to say we were devastated. We just sat there in stunned silence, wondering: what is this going to mean for the people we’re supporting right now — and for those who will need our support in the future?”
The Home Secretary said the rules were “designed many years ago to help families separated by war, conflict and persecution, but the way they are now being used has changed.”
That is not the reality Asylum Welcome sees on the ground. Every day, the charity works with families separated by exactly those circumstances — war, conflict and persecution. Their needs remain urgent, and so does the UK’s moral obligation.
Jack, a former asylum seeker who was reunited with his wife and daughter in February after three years apart, said:
“Being separated from my wife and daughter for standing up for justice was heartbreaking. Today, thanks to the refugee family reunion visa, we are finally together again, and I have learned that life without family is only half a life — together, we are whole again.”
Irshad, another refugee recently reunited, explained:
“Being reunited with my family gave me back my sense of hope and dignity. Every day apart felt like a piece of my life was missing. No one should have to choose between safety and being with the people they love.”
Family unity is not an optional extra — it is essential. It underpins safety, wellbeing, and the ability to integrate and thrive. Asylum Welcome warns that pausing family reunion risks pushing women, children, and vulnerable people towards unsafe and irregular journeys.
Dr Reed added:
“The prospect of reuniting with spouses and children after reaching safety is often what sustains refugees on their difficult journeys to the UK. For many men, the decision to risk their own lives is made so their children do not have to board unsafe boats. Yet once here, the constant anxiety of knowing loved ones remain in danger — still exposed to conflict and persecution — can be overwhelming. The government must urgently reverse this damaging decision. Refugees need to know that they can rebuild their lives in safety with their loved ones by their side.”
