Member

Finally, I will address the Government’s repeated claim that expanding safe routes acts as a pull factor, or that allowing family reunion encourages families to send children ahead as so-called “anchors”. This argument is simply not supported by evidence. A leaked Home Office review and the Migration Advisory Committee have both concluded that family reunion policies do not currently drive irregular migration. Decisions are shaped by factors such as language, diaspora links and historical ties, not by the hope of future sponsorship. Suggesting otherwise not only misrepresents the evidence but risks justifying policies that put children in harm’s way.