Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-09-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration she has given to the use of family reunions to facilitate resettlement within the Government’s Syrian refugee programme.
James Brokenshire
We recognise that families may be separated because of the nature of conflict and persecution and the speed and manner in which those seeking asylum often flee their country of origin. Our refugee family reunion policy allows immediate family members of a person in the UK with refugee leave or humanitarian protection status – that is a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18, who formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin – to reunite with them in the UK.
The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme was launched in January 2014 and is the first resettlement programme run by the UK to target support for refugees specifically on the basis of their vulnerability. On 7 September 2015, the Prime Minister announced a significant extension of the scheme, in recognition of the worsening crisis. We intend to resettle 20,000 refugees from Syria’s neighbouring countries over the lifetime of this Parliament.
The scheme is helping those in the greatest need who cannot be supported effectively in the region by giving them protection and support in the UK. The current criteria for acceptance under the scheme will be expanded to ensure more of those in the greatest need are resettled, together with their family members, in the UK. Where possible, the Government working with UNHCR, aims to resettle all close family members and dependents together.
Those resettled under the Syrian VPR scheme are eligible to act as sponsors under the family reunion provisions. This means that if their immediate family members are still abroad, and they meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules, they will be issued with a visa and the family will be able to reunite in the UK. Any family members who are already in the UK are also eligible to apply under the family reunion provisions.
