One year on, Britain is still keeping refugee children separated from their parents

Buying uniform, packing school bags and preparing for all the excitement and challenges of a new term.

But for children of refugees, this September marks a different kind of milestone. It is one year since the UK government suspended the refugee family reunion scheme.

The scheme previously allowed people who have been granted refugee status in the UK to be reunited with their spouses and children, whom they became separated from when fleeing war or persecution. The process was often long and complex, with no guarantee of success – but it offered a vital lifeline to families. Most visas granted were for women and children.

On 4 September last year, the scheme was suspended to new applications, with only a few days’ notice. This closed off one of the only safe and managed ways for people to reach safety in the UK, leaving thousands of children stuck in dangerous situations across the world.

At the British Red Cross, we hear distressing stories every day about its impact. We’ve been supporting a family from Sierra Leone, where two girls are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) from family members. They were unable to submit their application before the suspension took effect. This has left the girls in hiding and out of education until they can safely be reunited with their mother in the UK.

The short notice with which the scheme was suspended gave people little time to plan. In the case of one family we’ve supported from Sudan, the husband had submitted an application for his wife, not realising it didn’t include their newborn baby. They didn’t realise the mistake until after the scheme was suspended.  The mother and baby were left in a precarious situation in Egypt, while the father missed the first year of his child’s life.

Each family's story is unique, but something we hear repeatedly is that refugees living in the UK cannot begin to settle into their new lives until they know their loved ones are safe.

The government initially pledged to reopen the scheme by Spring 2026, with new conditions. However, families are still waiting in limbo with no news.

The new Prime Minister has recognised that people seeking asylum need safe routes, so they don't feel forced to make dangerous journeys.

It is expected that when the scheme does reopen, it will have restrictions – including financial conditions and English language requirements – that refugees must meet before their families can join them. Families tell us they are scared this will effectively shut down this safe route, as they are not in a position to meet the new requirements, due to the unique challenges they face having been forcibly displaced.

Any new requirements for the scheme must be fair, achievable, and compassionate, so it remains genuinely accessible to people who desperately need it.

Families describe the missed milestones of the past year and worry about continuing to live in limbo. They hope the government will urgently reinstate this vital safe route.

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Mubeen Bhutta is Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy at the British Red Cross.

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