Following the statements from the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, made earlier this week, the government has announced today that Refugee Family Reunion applications will be suspended from 3pm on Thursday 4 September 2025. This means that it will not be possible to submit Refugee Family Reunion applications after this time.

Anyone with protection status in the UK that is eligible to bring family under the current Rules should submit an online application before 3pm on Thursday. The current Rules allow for applications to enter the UK to be made by the partner or children of someone with protection status, so long as the relationship existed before the refugee left the country where they faced risk.

Applications submitted before 3pm on Thursday (including any pending applications and appeals) will be considered under the current Rules.

After this, the Refugee Family Reunion scheme will be suspended whilst the government conducts a review of the current Rules and prepares new Rules.

There is very limited clear information about what the new Rules will include, however it appears likely that the government will introduce a financial requirement and an English language requirement to the Refugee Family Reunion Rules, making it more difficult for families to be reunited together in safety. It is also anticipated that refugees will only be allowed apply to bring family members to the UK after a certain time period, which means families will be separated for even longer.

It is not yet clear when the new Rules will be introduced, but it is anticipated that the suspension could last many months and into 2026.

In the meantime, the government has said that refugees will be able to make partner and dependent child applications under Appendix FM, however these are costly applications with stringent rules, meaning that many of the most vulnerable will be unable to apply.  

We will provide an update as soon as further details of the new Rules become available.