Refugees: Resettlement

(asked on 11th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase the UK's resettlement target in 2021 in response to the reduced number of refugees resettled in 2020.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 21st December 2020

The UK is one of the world’s leading refugee resettlement states. Over recent years the Home Office has worked in partnership with UNHCR and other resettlement states to increase global resettlement capacity, including through leading various international fora. We have also provided direct advice and assistance to a number of states, supporting them to start, expand or develop their own resettlement schemes.

Alongside our international work, we have also been working closely with our key domestic stakeholders on plans to safely resume UK resettlement arrivals against the backdrop of unprecedented restrictions and pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of this work, and as announced by Baroness Williams of Trafford in the House of Lords on 9 November, the UK will shortly restart UK resettlement arrivals to fulfil our commitment of resettling 20,000 refugees affected by the conflict in Syria under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and we are working closely with partners to deliver this commitment.

Decisions regarding resettlement beyond the completion of this scheme, including the number of refugees we plan to resettle, are yet to be made and will need to take account of the impact of COVID-19 and the ongoing pressures on the asylum system.

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