The hopes of asylum seekers aiming to be reunited with their loved ones in the UK have been shattered after the home secretary announced on Monday that new applications to the family reunion scheme were to be suspended. The prospect of reuniting with spouses and children after reaching safety is often what sustains those trying to reach Britain during their difficult journeys.
Immigration lawyers are urgently working to lodge applications while the scheme remains open in cases of people who have been granted refugee status. The suspension will last until the spring and it is likely that any new scheme will be more restrictive than the current one, the Home Office said.
