PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Immigration (6 November 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to provide (a) humanitarian visas, (b) facilitated refugee family reunion and (c) other safe legal routes for migrants to enter the UK.

Asked by:
Ms Stella Creasy (Labour)

There is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone to be given a visa to travel to the UK to seek asylum or humanitarian protection and we have no plans to change this.

However, we recognise that families may become fragmented because of the nature of conflict and persecution and the speed and manner in which those seeking asylum often flee their country of origin. Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK, are able to sponsor their pre-flight family members to join them under the family reunion policy.

We also operate three discretionary resettlement schemes for recognised refugees for whom resettlement is the most appropriate answer. We operate these schemes in partnership with the UNHCR: Gateway; Mandate; and the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme.

We are also making a significant contribution to support refugees and their families in other ways. The UK has contributed over £1 billion in humanitarian aid in response to the Syrian crisis and we intend to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees displaced to neighbouring countries over the lifetime of this Parliament under the VPR scheme.

Migrants wishing to enter the UK for other reasons such as work or study can apply for a visa for that purpose. They will need to meet the requirements of the relevant Immigration Rule under which they apply in order to qualify for a visa. Details about the criteria and how to apply are available on gov.uk.

Answered by:
James Brokenshire (Conservative)
17 November 2015