Recommendation 22

HM Government Rejected

The UK and France continually discuss the response to illegal migration and important aspects of collaboration. France is a sovereign state, and therefore is responsible for providing support to those in French jurisdiction who may seek to claim asylum, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). We continue to keep the situation under review and will always highlight any risks the UK government foresees to our French partners including on different cohorts of migrants. A bilateral arrangement was reached between the UK and France on 20 July 2021, where the UK pledged to make a further financial investment of €62.7 million (approximately £54 million) in 2021/22 to tackle illegal migration and small boats. Some of this funding was used to invest in reception centres dedicated to providing support to migrants across France and removal centres for voluntary returns to countries of origin where appropriate. Supporting migrants into appropriate and safe accommodation in France and enabling them to access the asylum system there will also serve to take them out of the hands of criminal gangs. Within these French centres, individuals are provided with medical and administrative support. Going forward, the Home Office will continue to co-operate closely with the French Government on this important issue. UASC with family members in the UK can apply to join eligible sponsors under existing Immigration Rules. The existing Immigration Rules already make provision for a child to be reunited with a parent in the UK either under the Refugee Family Reunion Rules or via Appendix FM – depending on the immigration status of the parent. In addition, paragraphs 319X and 297 of the Rules are extremely flexible provisions that already allow for children to apply to join a wide range of adult family members who are not their parents, if the relevant requirements are met. Under these Rules, we do not restrict the types of family members eligible. The requirements are that there are serious and compelling family or other considerations which make exclusion of the child undesirable; suitable arrangements have been made for the child’s care and those relatives can adequately maintain and accommodate the child without recourse to public funds. Furthermore, we recognise that some applicants do not meet the current Rules but, in some cases, there will be exceptional circumstances which warrant a grant of leave. These rules existed alongside the UK’s participation in the Dublin Regulation. The Dublin Regulation, which we are no longer a part of, created more favourable family reunion provisions for unaccompanied children in Europe who had family links in the UK. This was clearly unfair and may have encouraged vulnerable children to make what are often dangerous journeys to Europe to benefit. Our single global approach to family reunion can be accessed by unaccompanied children anywhere in the world and does not encourage dangerous journeys into Europe which plays into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people and goes against our safeguarding responsibilities. Reception in the UK