00:00Thank you, Mr Speaker. With permission, I will update the House.
00:07Mr Speaker, we continue to believe that families staying together is important, and it's why we will seek to prioritise family groups among the applicants to come to Britain under our New Deal with France.
00:21But reforms are needed. So in our asylum policy statement later this year, we will set out a new system for family migration, including looking at contribution requirements, longer periods before newly granted refugees can apply, and dedicated controlled arrangements for unaccompanied children and for those fleeing persecution who have family in the UK.
00:42We don't need the interpretation of international law to keep up with the realities and challenges.
00:48But in the meantime, we do need to address the immediate pressures on local authorities and the risks from criminal gangs using family reunion as a pull factor to encourage more people onto dangerous boats.
01:01Therefore, we are bringing forward new immigration rules this week to temporarily suspend new applications under the existing dedicated refugee family reunion route.
01:12Until the new framework is introduced, refugees will be covered by the same family migration rules and conditions as everyone else.
01:21And later this year, we will set out plans to establish a permanent framework.
01:27Mr Speaker, I understand and agree with local councils and communities who want the asylum hotels in their communities closed, because we need to close all asylum hotels, and we need to do so for good.
01:40But that must be done in a controlled and orderly manner, and not through a return to the previous government's chaos that led to the opening of hotels in the first place.
01:52Mr Speaker, I understand and agree with that.
Sé la primera persona en añadir un comentario