Britain’s government will today, 2nd October 2025, announce plans to end a scheme which allowed family members to join refugees in the country, as it tries to curb immigration levels under pressure from the far-right.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to outline plans to scrap the family reunion scheme as well as automatic settlement rights for refugees at a EU leaders’ summit in Copenhagen. Applications for family reunions had been paused last month.

The UK government said in a press release late yesterday 1st October 2025, that the fundamental reforms will be the basis of a fairer system where the route to settlement should be longer, and be earned via contribution to the country.

Starmer’s Labour government has tried to take a tougher stance against record-levels of legal and irregular immigration to head off the rise of the anti-immigration, hard-right Reform UK party and quell a bitter national debate.

It suspended new family reunion applications at the start of September, hoping to disincentivise thousands of migrants crossing the Channel from France to the UK on small boats.