Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is set to announce tougher rules for migrants granted asylum to bring their families to the UK, as the government faces mounting pressure to overhaul the asylum system and reduce reliance on hotels.
As MPs return to Westminster, Cooper will outline stricter requirements for family reunion, including tougher English language standards and proof of sufficient funds. She will also detail reforms to the asylum appeals process, aimed at speeding up decisions and addressing what she called a “broken” system.
New restrictions on asylum family reunions
Currently, those granted asylum in the UK can apply to bring family members to join them. Cooper argues that the UK has fallen out of step with other European countries and that tighter restrictions are needed.
Her announcement comes after a summer of criticism over the government’s use of hotels to house asylum seekers arriving on small boats. The Home Secretary is expected to promise an end to asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.
Government ramps up action against people smugglers
Cooper will highlight the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) record 347 disruptions of immigration crime networks in 2024-25, a 40% increase on the previous year. She will tell MPs these efforts are having “a significant and long-term impact” on people smugglers.
The government is also reviewing how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) applies to immigration cases, particularly the treaty’s family life protections, which lawyers have used to block deportations. While Labour insists the UK will not leave the ECHR, Cooper is expected to announce changes to domestic law to guide judges on its interpretation.
Small boat crossings and new returns deal with France
So far in 2025, more than 28,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats, with an average of 65 people per vessel. While August saw the lowest number of crossings for the month since 2019, campaigners warn the crisis is far from over.
Cooper is set to confirm that the UK’s pilot returns deal with France will begin in the coming weeks, with the first deportations expected soon. Under the scheme, some migrants arriving by small boats will be detained and returned to France.
Political backlash over asylum reforms
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp dismissed the reforms as a “tiny tweak” that would make little difference, accusing Labour of being in “complete denial” about the scale of the border crisis. Reform UK echoed those concerns, vowing to deport 600,000 illegal migrants if elected and accusing Labour of siding “with foreign courts and outdated treaties.”
Meanwhile, protests against asylum seeker housing in hotels continue across the country, including in Epping, London, Gloucester, Portsmouth, Warrington, Norwich, and Falkirk. The controversy deepened after an asylum seeker at the Bell Hotel in Essex was charged with several offences, sparking ongoing demonstrations.
Despite criticism, Cooper will insist the UK has a “proud record” of offering sanctuary to those fleeing persecution but says the system must be “properly controlled and managed” to remain fair and sustainable.
