Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will today set out plans to make it harder for asylum seekers in the UK to bring family members to join them. The reforms will raise English language standards, introduce stricter financial requirements, and speed up appeals in immigration cases.
The announcement comes as MPs return to Westminster, with Labour under pressure to reduce the number of Channel crossings and phase out the use of hotels for asylum seekers.
Stricter Criteria for Family Members
Currently, people granted asylum in the UK can apply to reunite with close family. Under the new rules, relatives will need to show:
- Higher English language ability before being allowed entry.
- Proof of sufficient funds to support themselves.
- Compliance with a new fast-track appeals process that will prioritise housing and foreign offender cases.
Cooper will also update MPs on a pilot deal with France under which some small boat arrivals will be detained and returned. The first deportations are expected in the coming weeks.
Hotels at the Centre of the Row
Labour has faced mounting criticism over its reliance on hotels to house asylum seekers. The Court of Appeal last week overturned an injunction blocking the Home Office from using the Bell Hotel in Epping. Local councils, however, are still pursuing legal challenges.
The government has promised to end the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament and move to dedicated accommodation centres instead.
Disputes Over Human Rights Treaty
Cooper is also expected to address how Britain interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which has been used to halt deportations. Labour insists it will not withdraw from the treaty, but the government wants to clarify how the “right to family life” applies to immigration.
The issue has split opinion. Some Conservatives and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argue Britain should quit the ECHR altogether, while Labour says staying within the treaty is essential.
Numbers Still Rising
Despite Labour’s pledges to “fix a broken system,” crossings remain high. More than 28,000 migrants have reached the UK in small boats so far this year, with over 50,000 arriving since Labour took office last summer.
Although August saw fewer boats than in previous years, smugglers are loading more people on each vessel, with an average of 65 passengers.
The National Crime Agency says it has made progress, disrupting 347 smuggling networks over the past year – the highest number on record and a 40% rise compared to the year before.
Political Reactions
The opposition has dismissed the changes as too weak. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the new family rules were a “tiny tweak” and accused Labour of being in “complete denial” about the scale of the border crisis.
Reform UK also hit out at Labour, accusing the party of siding “with foreign courts and outdated treaties.” The party has pledged mass deportations if it wins office.
Cooper says the reforms will put the asylum system on “much stronger foundations” and ensure Britain continues its tradition of offering protection to those in need, but in a way that is “fair and controlled.”
With Channel crossings still high, councils fighting hotel use, and political opponents pushing harder solutions, Labour’s approach to asylum will remain one of the fiercest battles of the year.
