UK Halts Refugee Family Reunions Amid Small-Boat Surge; Home Office To Toughen Rules

Britain will temporarily suspend applications from recognised refugees seeking to bring family members to the UK while it prepares tougher rules, Interior Minister Yvette Cooper announced. The move follows a surge in rapid family-reunion requests and a 38% year-on-year rise in small-boat arrivals (about 29,000 so far), amid weeks of protests at hotels housing asylum seekers. Officials say the pause will ease housing pressures and allow rule changes; charities warn it could endanger vulnerable relatives and push people toward smugglers. The policy forms part of a broader effort to speed asylum processing and secure more returns deals.