Resettlement

No, unlike protection, resettlement is not a right. Resettlement is a solution that is only available in very specific circumstances and to a very small number of refugees. Resettlement is not a right embodied in international law. There is no obligation on countries to accept refugees for resettlement.

Not all refugees will be considered for resettlement automatically and the recognition of refugee status does not mean that a refugee has a case for resettlement.

If your case has been identified for resettlement consideration, you will be requested to come to the UNHCR office to conduct at least two interviews.

During the interviews, details regarding your background, including factual family composition, the reasons why you left your country of origin and why you cannot return to your country of origin, will be documented.

Your case will then be reviewed before it is submitted to the resettlement country. Some resettlement countries will conduct their own interviews before deciding whether or not your case is accepted for resettlement.

When in the resettlement process, it is important to provide UNHCR with the following information as soon as possible:

• All changes in family composition such as deaths, new births and marriages.
• It is important to inform us if anyone on the resettlement case has gone missing, for example if someone has returned to their country of origin or if someone has departed to another country.
• Changes in contact information such as new telephone numbers, email addresses and physical address.

In Uganda only UNHCR can refer cases for resettlement. Partners, community leaders, refugees, interpreters, OPM staff members CANNOT select a refugee for resettlement.

So, do not believe anyone who claim to help you for resettlement by collecting money from you and other refugees.

Only UNHCR can refer cases free of charge. Please do not pay any UNHCR staff for resettlement and other services.

When your case has been submitted to a resettlement country, you will receive a letter of submission from UNHCR.

If you have not received this letter, your case has not yet been submitted. So, please do not claim someone in UNHCR has promised to refer your cases for resettlement.

You will know until you receive a letter of submission.

A resettlement country takes the final decision to accept a refugee, not UNHCR.

UNHCR only identifies and interviews refugees for resettlement consideration according to a resettlement country’s strict criteria.

A case is then ‘submitted’ by UNHCR to a resettlement country, which makes the final decision.

No, refugees cannot choose the country of resettlement.

Countries are not obliged to accept refugees for resettlement. The governments of different countries tell UNHCR each year how many refugees they wish to accept; they also establish their own eligibility criteria as to what types of cases they can receive.

If you are selected for resettlement processing, UNHCR will assess your case and decide the most suitable resettlement country based on your circumstance as well as the criteria shared by the resettlement countries.

In a resettlement interview:

• Individual Interview: Each adult refugee in the case has an individual interview. The refugee chooses their preferred language and can also request the gender of the interviewer and/or interpreter.
• Interview Process: The interview’s detailed content is documented in electronic format. There might be audio recordings to prevent fraud and protect refugees, ensuring confidentiality.
• Importance of Truth: Refugees must tell the truth to ensure a fair assessment. Providing false information may lead to a fraud investigation by UNHCR and impact resettlement consideration negatively.
• Question Range: The interview covers various questions. It’s an opportunity for the refugee to share their situation in detail for UNHCR to understand the case circumstances.
• Providing Documents: Refugees are reminded to provide any relevant identity or other documents they have, such as refugee family attestation, verification proof, passports, birth certificates, medical documents, custody documents, and police reports.

Please note that resettlement is a long process. It may take months or more than a year, depending on the resettlement countries and their assessment procedures, as well as finding suitable accommodation for refugees.

If your resettlement case has been accepted, you will receive an acceptance letter from the resettlement country.

After being accepted for resettlement, IOM or UNHCR will contact you and inform you of the next steps.

This will include medicals at IOM and in certain cases follow up by UNHCR.

Do not sell your property, leave your job or take your children out of school until you have a flight ticket with the date of your departure.

No, it is not. All services provided by UNHCR, and its partners are free of charge.

Do not trust anyone or any organization that asks for money to be paid for services provided by UNHCR, UNHCR partners or the Government of Uganda. These are fraudulent acts aiming to get money from you and no resettlement will be provided . They may show you false information to persuade you that they are connected to UNHCR, its partners or the Government of Uganda. Do not believe them.

If you have been approached by someone claiming they can help your case, please inform UNHCR immediately.

You can report this through the following channels:

• You can email UNHCR at [email protected]
• You can call the Free Refugee Helpline 0800 32 32 32
• You can put your complaint in a Complaints Box. Complaints Boxes are available at all UNHCR offices.

Your concerns are taken seriously and will be treated confidentially.  If you do not want to use your name or case number, you can present your complaint anonymously.

If you have any information about a UNHCR staff member involved in any kind of fraud and/or corruption, please inform us using the Complaints Boxes, or make a complaint to the Inspector General’s Office at UNHCR’s Headquarters in Geneva:

• Confidential Email:[email protected]
• Confidential Fax:+41 22 739 7380
• Online complaints form
• Mail:UNHCR, 94 Rue de Montbrillant, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland