Refugee family reunion in the UK understands that this could include dependent adult The latest data from the Home Office shows a sons or daughters who are not leading independent 40 per cent increase, since 2013, in the number lives and who would be left in a dangerous situation of family reunion cases. with no other family support. However, while the Government indicated an The refusal rate increased by 40 per cent increase in grants outside of the rules in 2015, the compared to a year ago, while the number of grants Minister for Immigration has said that over the last has seen a modest increase. The use of discretion three years just ‘65 visas have been granted outside the rules due to exceptional circumstances’ – less to grant family reunion outside of the immigration 4 than the number granted in 2011 alone. (Table 2) rules has been decreasing during the refugee crisis. (Table 1) Data on the use of the Dublin III Regulation, including the number of ‘take charge’ requests from different member states, are not routinely released The Government is currently revising their guidance by the Home Office. Parliamentary questions to caseworkers to provide further direction on requesting this information have not the types of cases that should benefit from a visa received answers. outside the immigration rules. The Red Cross Table 1: Entry clearance visas (cases resolved of which: grants, refusals, withdrawn/lapsed): Family Other (2) Year Cases resolved of which: Granted Refused Withdran or lapsed 2013 6,108 4,211 1,797 100 2014 6,658 4,596 1,931 131 2015 8,544 4,949 3,466 129 Source: Immigration Statistics Oct - Dec 2015, Visas volume 1 table vi_01_q. Table 2 Year 2011 2012 1013 2014 Total Number of applications 77 30 18 12 137 granted outside the rules 4. Baroness Hamwee, Written Question HL3957, House of Lords, November 2015. 8