Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK-EU Trade and cooperation agreement on refugee resettlement programs and when those programs will be restarted in full.

The UK’s refugee resettlement schemes operate outside of the EU and we don't envisage any impact on them from the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Following the temporarily pause to the resettlement of refugees, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, arrivals recommenced in December 2020. The final arrivals under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme will take place during early 2021, delivering on our commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees who have fled the conflict in Syria to rebuild their lives safely in the UK.

We will continue to honour our commitment to those who have been invited to the UK and we will roll out a new global resettlement scheme in the future, along with a new firm and fair asylum system which will welcome people through safe and legal routes.