Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the reopening of the UK resettlement scheme, how many refugees they expect to resettle under the scheme in (1) 2026, and (2) 2027; and what assessment they have made of the capacity of local authorities to accommodate those arrivals.

As announced by the Home Secretary on 28 September, the Home Office has started receiving new referrals for the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) in 26/27.

The Government expects the total arrivals across the UKRS and the three new community sponsorship routes to number in the low hundreds at first.

The Home Office works closely with the local authorities that volunteer to participate in the UKRS, and arrival is contingent on local authorities providing accommodation and agreeing to support a refugee family. The number of individuals resettled through the UKRS in any given year will depend on a range of factors, including the capacity of local authorities to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees.