Overview

This bill aims to clarify the legal pathways for asylum seekers and unaccompanied children from EU member states to enter the UK following Brexit, particularly focusing on family reunification and ensuring continued protection under international law. Amendments were made to address cost and timing concerns.

Description

The bill initially proposed granting automatic leave to enter the UK for asylum seekers from EU member states who would have been eligible for transfer under EU Regulation 604/2013. This was amended to instead trigger a government review of lawful entry routes for asylum seekers from the EU, focusing on unaccompanied children seeking family reunion.

Key Aspects of the Amendments:

• A review of legal routes for protection claimants from the EU will be conducted.
• This review will prioritize the situation of unaccompanied children seeking to join family in the UK.
• A public consultation on this aspect of the review is required.
• A report on the review's findings will be published and presented to Parliament.
• Specific definitions for terms like “protection claimant,” “relative,” and “unaccompanied child” are included.
• Specific provisions of the review will come into force within two months of the Act's passage.

Government Spending

The initial version of the bill was rejected by the Commons due to concerns about unquantified costs to the public funds. The amendments avoid incurring such costs by replacing the provision of automatic leave with a review process.

Groups Affected

The bill primarily impacts:

• Asylum seekers from EU member states: The amendments affect their ability to enter the UK to make a claim, shifting from an automatic right to a process of review.
• Unaccompanied children from EU member states: Their ability to join family members in the UK will be a central focus of the review.
• UK Government: Responsible for conducting the review, publishing a report, and potentially implementing new legal routes.
• UK Parliament: The report of the review will be presented to Parliament.

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