Jewish leaders join 700+ faith figures urging rethink on refugee family reunion curbs

More than 700 faith leaders – including senior rabbis – have urged the government to reverse proposed restrictions on refugee family reunion, warning the changes could deepen suffering and drive people into the hands of smugglers.

In a joint letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, 720 religious figures from across the UK – including bishops, church leaders, an imam and Jewish representatives – expressed alarm at plans to tighten eligibility for refugees seeking to bring close relatives to Britain.

The intervention comes amid a wider overhaul of asylum policy, which critics say would significantly limit routes for partners and children to reunite with family members already granted protection in the UK.

Among the signatories is Rabbi David Mason, executive director of HIAS+JCORE, who said the proposals risk ignoring painful lessons from Jewish history.

“There is nothing fair or compassionate about keeping families divided,” he said. “The Jewish community understands this well: the Kinder transport saved thousands of lives, but it also left many children separated from their families. We need to learn the lessons of that lasting pain.

“At a time of deepening division, the Government must bring humanity and responsibility back into refugee policy. Reinstating family reunion rights would be a vital step.”

The letter warns that restricting safe and legal reunion routes will not deter migration but instead increase reliance on criminal networks.

Faith leaders argue that making reunion more difficult – particularly if it becomes dependent on paid routes or narrower definitions of family – risks pushing vulnerable people towards dangerous journeys.

They also stress that family reunion supports integration, helping refugees rebuild stable lives and reducing long-term pressures on public services.

The appeal was coordinated by the Joint Public Issues Team, representing the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches, and follows a gathering of faith leaders outside Parliament on Wednesday.

Rt Rev’d Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, said refugees were often wrongly blamed for wider social pressures and called on the government to show “moral leadership” by reconsidering the plans.

Other signatories, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Rowan Williams, highlighted the risks facing unaccompanied children if safe reunion routes are curtailed.

Campaigners say the changes would effectively end automatic family reunion rights for newly recognised refugees, replacing them with a more restrictive system that could leave many families permanently separated.

Jo Cobley, chief executive of Safe Passage International, said the impact of separation was already evident in the charity’s work with displaced families.

“Every day, we see the devastating impact separation has on children and the people who care for them most,” she said. “Without family reunion as a safe alternative, we fear more people will be pushed into dangerous journeys to reach loved ones.”

The Home Office has not yet responded publicly to the letter.

The full letter and list of signatories can be read here.