Success! Lords vote for family reunion

The Government suffered a significant defeat tonight as the House of Lords votes to open a new safe route for unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to reunite with family here in the UK.

Led by Lord Dubs, this amendment gives safe passage to unaccompanied refugee children in Europe, who are desperate to be safe and in the care of their loved ones in the UK. Since the loss of the EU’s regulation on family reunion as a result of Brexit, unaccompanied children and separated families find it next to impossible to join their close family in the UK. Since Brexit, no child refugee in France supported by Safe Passage has been able to reunite safely with their family here in the UK, turning instead to treacherous journeys across the Channel.

With no safe route to reunite with family in the UK, child refugees have no choice but to risk their lives on dangerous journeys to reach loved ones and sanctuary. To prevent Channel crossings, this is the type of reform that is required – the urgent, ambitious expansion of safe routes to the UK for refugees, including child refugees.

Despite being forced to make concessions to improve family reunion in response to the situation in Ukraine, the Government has so far refused to accept that urgent improvements are needed across the board to make sure that refugees can safely reunite with their family.

Responding to today’s vote, Beth Gardiner-Smith, CEO of Safe Passage International said:

“We welcome the news that Lords have voted for Lord Dubs’ proposal to open a new safe route for unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to reunite with family here in the UK. Just this week we’ve seen the Government accept that Ukrainian refugee families should be together here in the UK. The Government must now match this commitment for refugee children of other nationalities who are stuck alone in Europe despite having family here.

Lord Dubs’ safe route would be a lifeline for refugee children stranded alone on the streets of Calais or in refugee camps on Greek islands. Without safe passage, child refugees have no choice but to risk their lives travelling in the back of lorries or risking dinghies across the Channel to reach loved ones and sanctuary in the UK.

Next MPs must listen and vote to protect unaccompanied refugee children when this Bill returns to the House of Commons in the coming weeks.”