|
UNHCR
recognises that refugees are not always able to return safely home
or to remain in the country where they received asylum. There are
situations in which resettlement to a third country, such as the
United Kingdom, is the only safe and viable durable solution for
refugees.
Thanks
to the generosity of resettlement countries and the tireless endeavour
of local non-governmental organizations, resettlement from the initial
host country to a further country of asylum has become a fundamental
element of the system for the international protection of refugees.
What
is resettlement?
Resettlement generally applies to an individual who is outside their
country of origin and unwilling to return due to a well-founded
fear of persecution (within the terms of the 1951 Convention), but
who is unable to remain in the initial country of asylum, for example
because they have equivalent fear in that country, or because that
country is not able to host a refugee population in safe and humanitarian
conditions. Resettlement therefore acts to address the special needs
of refugees which cannot be met adequately in the first country
of refuge.
Resettlement
under the auspices of UNHCR has a dual character. While it serves
as a tool to ensure the protection of refugees, it is also one of
the three durable solutions intended to bring the plight of refugees
to an end and to provide a sustainable resolution for individuals
in need of international protection. Resettlement is also an important
tool for burden/responsibility sharing.
Resettlement
to the UK
Many signatories to the 1951 Convention have resettlement schemes.
The terms and criteria for these vary from country to country.
There
are currently three programmes established by the Government in
the UK. A recognised refugee who meets the criteria established
by the Home Office for that programme might be eligible to resettle
in the UK.
1) Mandate Scheme:
A
mandate refugee is a person who has been granted protection by UNHCR
in another country – as UNHCR has responsibility for the refugee
status determination procedure in some countries (which is carried
out in the United Kingdom solely by the Government). The cases are
nominated for resettlement by the UNHCR branch office closest to
the mandate refugee. The administration of such referrals to the
United Kingdom undertaken by the British
Red Cross.
Each
case is submitted on its merits and must demonstrate
a)
why the individual seeking resettlement qualifies as a refugee;
b) the need for resettlement; and c) a family link in the UK (e.g.
extended family with settled status).
The
family link requirement: Family Reunion rights usually only extend
to a refugee’s spouse or dependent partner and dependent children
under the age of 18. Thus family members falling outside of that
definition may be most suitably reunited through the Mandate scheme.
2) ‘Ten or More’ Scheme:
This
scheme applies to the particularly vulnerable refugees, including
those who are medically at risk or are disabled. UNHCR opened up
a scheme in 1974, in which countries would commit to allowing in
a quota of such special cases per year – the designated number
in the UK being 'ten or more'.
The
UNHCR branch office near the recognised refugees makes the first
full assessment of the individual’s circumstances. Specific
criteria are used, including the severity of the case and whether
medical treatment is available locally. Unaccompanied children or
women, or women with dependants are given priority. UNHCR then refers
the case to an agency in one of the countries participating in the
programme. Once the agency has agreed to accept the case, the details
are forwarded to the government for their assessment and decision.
In the United Kingdom, the British Red Cross carries out the liaison
between Government, UNHCR, the sponsor agency and the refugee.
3)
The Gateway Programme:
On
29 October 2001 then Home Office Minister David Blunkett, made a
statement in the House of Commons, regarding the UK’s intention
to expand its resettlement activities. In February 2002, the Home
Office declared the creation of a formal ‘500 Gateway Programme’.
The Gateway Programme envisions the resettlement in the UK of 500
refugees each year and will augment the existing Mandate and Ten
or More resettlement schemes. The
Gateway Programme became operational in April 2003.
Please
refer to the Home Office’s Immigration
and Nationality Directorate website for further information
and updates on the Gateway Programme.
Resettlement
from the UK
There is no resettlement programme from the UK to other countries.
If an individual is interested in making an application to be resettled
to another country from the UK, he/she must contact the diplomatic
mission of the country concerned directly. UNHCR London
will not make a referral to the latter, on behalf of the individual. It is also important to note that resettlement applies to persons
who have been recognised by refugees (whether by a State, or by
UNHCR in other countries) – individual’s whose asylum
applications have been finally rejected are not eligible.
|
