BritCits

REPORT: All families matter: An inquiry into family migration.

The report from the House of Lords that some of us helped with has just been published. You can read the full report here : https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldjusthom/144/144.pdf

Executive summary :

'Current migration policies are at odds with the Government’s commitment to family life. “Strong, supportive families make for more stable communities”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a speech setting out his priorities for 2023.  By being overly restrictive, family migration policies weaken families and undermine communities.

Ten years after a major set of reforms, we assessed family migration policies. We found that, complex and inconsistent, they fail both families and society. Families are failed. The desire to join family members is natural and understandable, but the Immigration Rules force families to live apart. The Home Office portrays family separation as a choice on the part of the family— we profoundly disagree that it is a matter of choice.

The arrival of spouses and partners of British citizens is deterred or delayed by the financial requirement and prohibitive application fees. Sufficient income may never be secured. Parents are forced to raise children alone, until they can be joined by their foreign partners. Children grow up without one of their parents.'

Thanks to -all- contributors here! It's a fine piece of work.