Migrant Voice claims refugees are being held up for months before being allowed to join their families
Refugees are being denied the chance to reunite with their families after arriving in the UK, a charity has claimed.
Migrant Voice said it was “extremely concerned” that many refugees were being held up in Calais for months before being allowed to join their families in Britain.
According to the charity, refugees are subjected to protracted obstacles putting them, their partners and their children under “enormous stress”.
Applications by refugees to have their family join them are also regularly turned down for “unreasonable” reasons, Migrant Voice found.
We're calling on the government to treat people with refugee status more humanely
One Syrian refugee told the charity his application for reunion was refused because “he was not wearing a tie in his wedding photos and therefore they did not believe it was his wedding day.”
Migrant Voice said others have been refused for reasons such as “a gap in communication with the family on social media” or being unable to fund the cost of DNA testing, which can cost thousands of pounds.
Nazek Ramadan, the charity’s director, said: "We're calling on the government to treat people with refugee status more humanely.
"Tens or even hundreds of refugees are struggling to bring their families in.
"The government is investing lots of time and energy and resources to try and assist Syrians to integrate into the UK but most Syrians cannot integrate if their families are still at war."
Individuals with refugee status or humanitarian protection have a legal right, under UK and international legislation, to apply to bring their immediate family members to join them.
However, the charity said many of those fleeing conflict are not awarded refugee status when they arrive in the UK. Instead, they are classified as having “Leave to Remain”.
Under migration rules introduced in 2012, people in this category are refused the right to bring their family to the UK unless they earn more than £18,600 a year.
Migrant Voice said the emotional stress of their situation has led to many refugees considering returning to war-torn Syria just so they can be reunited with their partners and children.
The charity is now calling on the UK Government to completely overhaul the family reunion rules and process, supported by a process that is “compassionate, practical and humane” and which “reflects this country’s pride in treating people fairly”.
The Home Office said 22,000 family reunion visas had been granted since 2011. Figures were unavailable on how many had been turned down or how many successful applications had only been granted after an appeal.
A spokesman said: "The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who genuinely need it, and every case is carefully considered on its individual merits.
"Our refugee family reunion policy allows a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to reunite with them here, providing they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.
"More than 22,000 family reunion visas have been granted under this policy over the past five years reuniting many refugees with their immediate family."
