Q&A: Women and children at risk as UK halts refugee reunions

LONDON - Britain has suspended a visa scheme allowing registered refugees to bring family members into the country, a "cruel" decision that could trap women and children in danger or push them into perilous escape routes, charities say.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under mounting political pressure to reduce the numbers of asylum seekers landing in the country, especially those coming on small boats from France. 

This summer, hotels housing asylum seekers became a focal point of sometimes violent demonstrations.

More than 43,300 people came to Britain on small boats in the year ending June 2025, up 38% on the same period in 2024.

Seeking to appease rising anti-immigrant sentiment, the government paused the refugee family reunion route on Sept 4, a suspension due to last until at least next spring.

The Home Office (interior ministry) did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Refugees can apply for other visas but experts say many could not afford the fees or meet the financial requirements, such as having a salary of at least 29,000 pounds ($39,240).

Under the reunion route, an asylum seeker given "indefinite leave to remain" can apply to bring a partner - if they have been together at least two years - and any children under 18.

In the past year, nearly 93% of the family reunion visas granted by London were for women and children, most of whom came from Syria, Iran and Afghanistan, official data showed. 

Carenza Arnold, head of campaigns at migrant charity Women for Refugee Women, told Context the suspension could separate families for years and endanger women and children.

The suspension came with such speed; what was your reaction?

We had to act extremely quickly last week because the scheme was closed just a couple of days after it was announced, which also felt particularly cruel.

We supported as many women as possible who are eligible for family reunion to submit their applications so they could be considered before the scheme was paused.

But this has caused huge anxiety, particularly for those who are still waiting for an outcome on their asylum claim because they're now left in this situation where they don't even know what the scheme is going to be.

There were a lot of women who we just weren't able to help in time. Everyone is just left in this horrible limbo.

What impact will this new suspension have?

This move is going to disproportionately harm women and children. It risks trapping (them) in active conflict zones or in areas where they're being persecuted and leaves them without any sort of formalised safe route to reunite with loved ones. 

Unfortunately, it will probably force more people into taking dangerous journeys to reunite, for example small boat crossings ... which are extremely dangerous.

Women often experience sexual and gender-based violence, not only in their home countries, but on their journey to safety, and also sometimes when they are actually within the UK. 

So we are extremely concerned that this is going to put more women at risk. 

It feels like a step backwards into more cruelty and hostility rather than a step in the right direction.     

How will it hit people in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran? 

These are countries that have active conflict zones or there is a lot of evidence that shows abuse of women's rights.

With Afghanistan, since the return of the Taliban, we know that women's rights have been getting progressively worse with restrictions on all access to public life. Women have been flogged in public for things such as leaving the house without a male companion. 

So it will be even more cruel that the government is then closing some of the formalised and safe routes for women to leave these countries.     

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

(Reporting by Lin Taylor; Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths)

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