Helping the resettlement of refugees
Last updated on: 12 October 2023
See how London is involved in supporting refugees through different resettlement and relocation programmes, and how you can help.
What is refugee resettlement?
Resettlement is the assisted movement of refugees from an asylum or host country they have fled to, to another country like the United Kingdom. Many refugees flee their homes because of continued conflict, wars and persecution. Many also live in perilous situations or have specific needs that cannot be addressed in the country where they have sought protection. In such circumstances, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) helps resettle refugees to a third country where they can live in safety and rebuild their lives.
In recent years, the UK government has also implemented resettlement and relocation schemes without UNHCR’s involvement, such as the relocation of Afghans who had assisted the work of the UK government and British military in Afghanistan, and those who were evacuated to safety in August 2021 after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban regime.
What refugee resettlement schemes do we have in the UK?
Currently, there are five resettlement schemes that allow people to relocate to the UK:
The United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) was introduced in 2021 following the closure of three previous resettlement schemes: the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) and the Gateway Protection Programme. These schemes had a geographical scope or focused on specific groups. The launch of the UKRS in 2021 intended to consolidate these three existing schemes into a simplified one that would help refugees globally. The UK government pledged an initial target for UKRS of 5,000 individuals a year being resettled, but this has not been met so far. The UKRS aims to resettle refugees from countries hosting large populations such as those bordering countries with conflicts, where resettlement may be the only durable solution. This is in line with the global protection needs identified by UNHCR.
The Community Sponsorship Scheme enables local communities, civil society organisations, charities and faith groups to directly welcome and support a family into their local community. The scheme was established in response to the desire of the civil society to support refugees and is an example of effective government and civil society collaboration. Community Sponsorship is accessible to refugees under the same criteria as the UKRS (see above). Refugees resettled through the Community Sponsorship Scheme complement those resettled to local authorities. More information on the community sponsorship scheme is available, including the criteria for community sponsor groups.
The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) was launched on 1 April 2021 for or British military in Afghanistan. Under the policy, any former locally employed staff in Afghanistan who are assessed to be under serious threat to life due to the Taliban are eligible to be relocated.
The Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which formally opened in January 2022, welcomed 6,300 Afghans to the UK in the first year (under pathway 1) and aims to resettle up to 20,000 people in the coming years (including pathway 1, 2 and 3). Pathway 1 includes those who were evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021. Pathway 2 includes refugees who have fled Afghanistan and have been identified for resettlement by UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) based on their vulnerability. Lastly, under pathway 3 of ACRS the UK government intends to offer protection to at-risk individuals and eligible family members who are in Afghanistan or in the region and were British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors or Chevening alumni.
The Mandate Resettlement Scheme is a global scheme and resettles recognised refugees with a close family member in the UK who is willing to accommodate them. Those accepted on the Mandate scheme must have been recognised as refugees by UNHCR and assessed to be in need of resettlement. The person must be a child, spouse, parent or grandparent aged over 65 of someone settled in the UK, or who has limited leave to remain in a category leading to settlement, who is willing to accommodate and support them.
Additionally, there are people supported in the UK on other previous resettlement schemes, such as the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme (VCRS). Although these schemes closed in 2021, local authorities and Community Sponsorship Groups are still engaged in providing support to families still on these programmes. These schemes, introduced in 2014, focused on the resettlement of people fleeing the conflict in Syria (VPRS) and on children at risk and their families within the Middle East & North Africa Region (VCRS).
How are refugees identified for resettlement?
Before identifying refugees to be resettled to another country which takes part in resettlement schemes, other solutions are considered such as voluntary repatriation when it is safe to do so and local integration into the host country. Read more about the resettlement process here.
What is the situation globally?
In 2023, it is estimated that 2,003,982 individuals worldwide are in need of resettlement. While most refugees are hosted in low-and-middle-income countries where they have first fled to, the durable solutions available to them fall well below their needs. In 2022, only 58,457 were resettled through UNHCR.
How many refugees are resettled in London?
London has a proud legacy of providing refuge to those seeking sanctuary. London has now resettled more than 2,853 refugees since 2014 across all schemes mentioned above.
This includes over 1,609 Afghan evacuees supported into settled accommodation and interim accommodation under the ACRS/ARAP schemes and a further 1,244 people resettled via all other resettlement programmes.
What is the GLA doing to support refugee resettlement in London?
The London Strategic Migration Partnership
The GLA is working with partners to bring together the expertise and compassion in London, to support refugees to rebuild their lives and thrive in their local community. The GLA works in partnership with the Home Office and all London boroughs to support their involvement in the resettlement schemes.
Through the London Strategic Migration Partnership (LSMP), which is chaired by Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, we seek to ensure the success of refugee resettlement in London.
Please note that the Mayor of London does not have powers to choose refugees to be identified for resettlement in the United Kingdom and is unable to comment on individual cases. This is the remit of the Home Office UK Visas and Immigration and the UN Refugee Agency - UNHCR.
Refugee resettlement guidance for local authorities
The GLA has published guidance to support local authorities and partners who are either considering or are already delivering the following resettlement schemes in London: ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy), ACRS (Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme) and UKRS (UK Resettlement Scheme). This guidance may also be useful to those still delivering the VPRS (Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme) and the VCRS (Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme).
The guidance is broken down into multiple sections covering key areas of resettlement, such as finances, pre-arrival planning, housing, health, education, interpreting, ESOL, integration support and employment. The contents tool on the right will help you navigate to the relevant section.
London Refugee Housing Programme
On 3 April 2023, the Mayor of London launched a new £126m Refugee Housing Programme to fund delivery of up to 630 affordable homes in the capital. The Refugee Housing Programme forms part of a wider Local Authority Housing Fund, which is administered by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
To read the guidance and find information on how to submit a bid, please visit our London Refugee Housing Programme webpage.
How can I help?
You can also help refugees by:
- Talking to your local MP and local council about getting involved in refugee resettlement
- becoming a Community Sponsorship group
- donating goods, services or your time locally
- volunteering with an organisation supporting refugees.
If you would like to offer an affordable property to a refugee family, you can contact your local council directly, offer it to a Community Sponsorship Group, or submit it via the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Housing Portal if you wish for it to be considered for an Afghan family on the ARAP or ACRS programmes.
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