Can I apply for family reunification in France or the UK?

Under the Dublin Regulation, different criteria are taken into account for family reunification:

For adults and families

If at least one of your family members is registered in a European country which adheres to the Dublin Regulation, you may ask for your asylum claim to be examined in the same country. If the family reunification is approved, you can join them there and continue with your asylum claim. For instance, if you claim asylum in France and tell authorities that you have family members or relatives who are in the UK, the French authorities can ask the UK to consider your asylum claim.

If your family member (spouse or minor child) is an asylum seeker who is awaiting a first decision on his or her claim, or has refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK, the UK is responsible for examining your asylum claim if the family link can be shown.

The UK may also accept responsibility on an exceptional basis to bring together family members on humanitarian grounds.

For unaccompanied children

The family reunion provision only applies once an unaccompanied child has claimed asylum in the EU country where they are. It is vital that children in France claim asylum there to access the support they need.

When an unaccompanied child claims asylum in France, they should tell authorities if they have any family members in the UK (or elsewhere in Europe). French authorities can request for that country to take responsibility for assessing their asylum claim. The child should provide any evidence of family relationship and contact details.

To be eligible for transfer to the UK, the child must have a parent or guardian, a sibling, an adult aunt or uncle, or grandparent in the UK. In order for an unaccompanied child to join family in the UK, the family member/relative needs to be legally present in the UK, this includes family who are seeking asylum. A relative who has applied for asylum in the UK such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent must be able to show that they can take care of the child.