Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 22 June to Question 13691 on Refugees: Afghanistan and with reference to the oral statement of the Minister for Afghan Resettlement of 6 January 2022, for what reason referrals via pathway two of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme did not begin in spring 2022 did not happen; what factors are preventing referrals via that route as of 29 June 2022; whether she has a target date to begin taking referrals via pathway two; and if she will make a statement.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled to the UK over the coming years.

On 13 June 2022, the Government announced the launch of the second and third pathways of the ACRS. I am pleased to be able to confirm the UK has received its first referrals from the UNHCR under pathway two.

The ACRS is a bespoke scheme, which responds to a challenging and complex situation. The pace of actual arrivals in any particular period will depend on a range of factors including the flow of referrals from UNHCR and the availability of suitable accommodation and support in the UK.