Asylum: Visas
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to pilot a refugee visa scheme for people from countries with high asylum grant rates to allow them to travel to the UK to apply for asylum.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The UK has always done our bit to help those fleeing persecution and continues to welcome refugees and people in need through our global resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme. Alongside these schemes, we operate specific schemes for those fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan, and an immigration route for British National (overseas) status holders from Hong Kong. There are also Displaced Talent initiatives which help displaced populations to access a skilled worker visa. The refugee family reunion policy allows immediate family members of those granted protection in the UK to stay with them or join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Between 2015 and August 2024, 625,294 individuals were offered a route into the UK through these schemes and policies.
We are focused on ensuring existing pathways work effectively.
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