Thousands of families at risk of separation under UK’s proposed refugee family reunion changes, British Red Cross finds

Proposed changes to refugee family reunion could leave unaccompanied children trapped in dangerous places and impact the ability for people to settle into communities in the UK, new research by the British Red Cross has revealed. 

I Returned to Life, a new report launched today has revealed the difficulties refugees face to bring vulnerable family members to safety in the UK.   

The report is based on research and testimonials from parents who had been separated from their children, husbands separated from their wives and children separated from siblings. 

Refugee family reunion has been suspended to new applications in the UK since September. Proposed changes to the route going forward could introduce stricter financial, accommodation and language conditions, while also requiring refugees to have lived in the UK for a certain period of time before their families can join them.    

The changes – due to be announced by Spring 2026 – could effectively cut off a historic and vital route to safety for children and increase the risk of people making dangerous journeys to reach family and sanctuary.  

Key findings in the report include: 

• projections that, between September 2025 and April 2026, a suspension to family reunion could impact at least 4,900 families, keeping people separated from their loved ones. This could include 6,300 children, 1,500 of whom are unaccompanied and would be unable to reach safety.  
• that women and children have been the main recipients of the refugee family reunion scheme, accounting for 91 per cent of visas granted by the Home Office since 2010.   
• people who had been separated from their families felt forced to do so due to war, violence or persecution. The insight shows the urgency and life-or-death stakes that can underpin refugee family reunion applications.  
• most newly qualified refugees would not be able to meet any new financial requirements given they would not have had the right to work during their asylum claim. 
• the life changing impact of family reunion, bringing children to safety and supporting people who have already achieved refugee status in the UK to better integrate into communities and contribute to UK society. 

 

Amongst the testimonials included in the report an anonymous Sudanese man shared the life changing impact of UK family reunion and how close his children came to tragedy without it. “My children, if they had been one day late, they would have died. Just one day… They left the village at 7am. At 10am, [the fighters] raided the village. Many people died.”  

Olivia Field, head of policy at the British Red Cross, said: 

“From our frontline work with refugees, we know that being reunited with family is vital to wellbeing and integration. Family reunion has long been a cornerstone of the UK’s refugee protection system – offering a vital, safe and managed route for refugees to reunite with the people they love. 

“The government’s proposed changes to refugee family reunion risk leaving unaccompanied children in dangerous situations and will increase the anxiety of people  already in the UK as they worry over the safety of their loved ones. 

“This safe route should be protected and shaped with compassion. We want to work with Government to ensure any new requirements are realistic and fair, so that families have a genuine chance to be together and rebuild their lives.” 

The British Red Cross is calling for  this vital protection route to remains accessible to the families who need it. This includes through:  

• ensuring unaccompanied children with parents in the UK, as well as families facing extreme danger or urgent medical needs, are exempt from any financial restrictions.  
• making any new requirements for refugee family reunion realistic, recognising the unique nature of why families are forced to separate and the challenges and barriers they face.   
• offering measures like improved English language support and increased recognition of qualifications from abroad to help refugee families meet any new requirements.    

 

Hamed Amiri, a British Red Cross ambassador, has lived experience of the asylum system having been forced to flee Afghanistan as a child with his mother and brother. Hamed, who wrote the foreword to I Returned to Life, said:  

“I know what a difference it makes to feel safe with the people you love most by your side. It changes everything. Family is what gives you the confidence to start again. It’s what allows people to stop surviving and start living.   

“That’s why family reunion matters. This report is not just about rules or systems. It’s about real lives and real families. The British Red Cross sees this every day, standing alongside people who are trying to bring their loved ones to safety.   

“Reuniting families is not a luxury. It is a basic human need. Every family deserves the chance to be safe together, and to find hope for the future, just as mine once did.”  

Notes to editors

Refugee family reunion is a way for people granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to bring close family members - like a partner or children under 18 - to join them. This was a dedicated safe route until September 2025, when it was suspended. Families must now apply through the family immigration system, which involves tougher requirements such as proving income and passing English language tests. 

I Returned to Life explores the unique challenges faced by refugees and outlines the reasons why they have historically been exempted from extra requirements for family reunion. People who have been granted refugee status cannot reunite with their family anywhere but the UK, as it is unsafe to return to their country of nationality. 

 The predicted numbers of family reunion visas for partners and minors in the report was calculated based on Home Office data of visas granted to adults and children each quarter from April 2024 to July 2025. The proportion of unaccompanied minors was calculated using historical proportions of unaccompanied minors supported by the British Red Cross’s Family Reunion Travel Assistance programme over the past three years. 

 The data showing 91% of family reunion applications were made by women and children was calculated by British Red Cross policy and research officers using the immigration system statistics quarterly releases published from 2010 to 2025. 

 Download the full report (PDF).

About the British Red Cross

For over 150 years, the British Red Cross has helped people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. With millions of volunteers in over 190 countries, the British Red Cross is part of an international humanitarian Movement that’s there for people before, during and after a crisis. Together, we are the world’s emergency responders. www.redcross.org.uk