UK Hardens Immigration Policies, Suspends Family Reunification

The UK on Sept. 1 announced the temporary suspension of refugee family reunification applications, citing pressure on local authorities and criminal smuggling gangs using the system as a pull factor for illegal immigration.

Secretary of State for the Home Department Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, that the temporary measure will address immediate pressures while the Labour government works on a new framework for those granted refugee status to bring their families to Britain, according to an official transcript of the ministerial statement.