Select committee: Justice and Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation 61

1st Report - All families matter: An inquiry into family migration Published 28 Feb 2023
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government should significantly increase funding to improve the standards of the services the Home Office delivers to families. In the first place, the Home Office should recruit and train more caseworkers to decide on family visa applications appropriately and in good time. (Paragraph 235 ) < Back Next > © Parliamentary copyright 2023 A-Z index Glossary Contact us Freedom of Information Jobs Using this website Copyright Privacy notice Cookie policy Cookie Manager House of Lords - All families matter: An inquiry into family migration - Justice and Home Affairs Committee Accessibility Email alerts RSS feeds Contact us Home Parliamentary business MPs, Lords & offices About Parliament Get involved Visiting Education House of Commons House of Lords What's on Bills & legislation Committees Publications & records Parliament TV News Topics All families matter: An inquiry into family migration Contents

From: Justice and Home Affairs Committee, 1st Report - All families matter: An inquiry into family migration, 28 February 2023

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 9 June 2023 (deadline 28 April 2023).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government's response sets out that it does not think full harmonisation of family entry and stay conditions is "the right approach", and it largely defends existing rules on adult dependent relatives, the minimum income requirement, child sponsorship and visitor appeals.

  • On bespoke routes, it says that "where possible" it uses existing pathways, but that some events are "so critical" that bespoke routes are needed, such as the Afghan and Ukraine schemes.
  • On child refugees sponsoring relatives, it says doing so "would risk creating incentives" for more children to make hazardous journeys.
  • On fees, it says they are kept under review but there are "no current plans" to reduce fees on the route to settlement or for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
  • On the Immigration Rules, it states it has "accepted all of the Law Commission's recommendations in whole or in part" and aims "to consolidate the simplified Rules in early 2024".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error