Refugee resettlement involves the transfer of refugees from the country in which they have initially been granted asylum to another State that has agreed to admit them as refugees and to grant permanent settlement there. In order to enquire further about resettlement to Ireland or another resettlement State, the appropriate UNHCR office to approach is your nearest UNHCR office.
If an individual has, for example, relatives in Ireland then that individual should obtain copies of their Irish relatives’ identification documentation and bring them to the attention of the UNHCR office they are registered with. In line with their standard operating procedures, UNHCR offices that register individuals for refugee status determination will also consider whether or not that individual is eligible for resettlement to a third country, such as Ireland.
Whether a refugee may be resettled also depends on the admission criteria of the third State as well as the cooperation of the country of initial asylum. Resettlement is not a right, and there is no obligation on States to accept refugees for resettlement.
If you are resident in Ireland and wish to enquire about the resettlement of relatives here it is important to appreciate that Ireland accepts only a small number of resettled refugees each year. Whilst it would be appropriate in such cases to refer your relatives to their nearest UNHCR office to make further enquiries, the possibility of an application for family reunification should be explored as a more likely alternative.