Resettlement

Refugee resettlement involves the selection and transfer of refugees from a State in which they have sought protection to a third State that has agreed to admit them as refugees. Resettlement is a durable solution to protection concerns a refugee may be facing in their country of asylum.

You can read more about resettlement processes in UNHCR’s resettlement handbook: UNHCR Resettlement Handbook.

Please note that there is no application process for UNHCR resettlement. UNHCR is responsible for identifying and assessing refugees for resettlement.

When a refugee faces protection concerns in their country of asylum, UNHCR first seeks to identify solutions within that location. If a refugee’s protection concerns cannot be addressed locally, UNHCR may pursue resettlement to a third country. The UNHCR office in the country of asylum will review the case and inform the refugee if they are being considered for resettlement.

Registering with UNHCR or the authorities in a country of asylum does not automatically mean that a refugee is being considered for resettlement.

Refugees outside the UK who would like to report any protection concerns or receive information on resettlement should contact the UNHCR office closest to them. You can find the contact details for UNHCR offices here: Information for Refugees, Asylum-seekers and Stateless People.

There are very few resettlement places available each year compared with global resettlement needs. Resettlement places are, therefore, prioritised for those most in need; where refugees face protection risks in their country of asylum and have no prospect of a safe return to their country of origin. Less than 1% of the world’s refugees are submitted for resettlement each year by UNHCR.  A family connection in a resettlement country, such as the UK, will not usually determine whether individuals are referred for resettlement.

Unfortunately, no. UNHCR in the UK does not decide whether refugees are resettled to the UK. If your case is considered for resettlement, UNHCR where you are located will contact you. UNHCR in the UK is not involved in this process.

Unfortunately, no. The UK office does not have access to the case files for refugees registered in different offices and, in any event, we cannot disclose information regarding refugees abroad to third parties.

Refugees abroad should contact the UNHCR office closest to them if they would like to report any protection concerns or would like information on resettlement. You can find the contact details for UNHCR offices here: Information for Refugees, Asylum-seekers and Stateless People.

When UNHCR submits refugees for resettlement, the resettlement country makes the final decision on whether to accept their case.

Whether or not a refugee is resettled depends on many factors such as the availability of resettlement places, the admission criteria of the resettlement country and the cooperation of the country of first asylum. Unlike refugee status, resettlement is not a right, and there is no obligation on States to accept refugees for resettlement.

It is not possible to apply to UNHCR to bring family members to the UK through resettlement. It is important to understand that the overall likelihood of your family members being prioritised for resettlement by UNHCR is unfortunately very low and depends on their individual circumstances. Resettlement decisions are based primarily on protection needs and are not linked to your presence in the UK. For refugees assessed as in need of resettlement, the presence of a relative in another country is one of many factors UNHCR considers when determining the most appropriate destination country. Other factors include available quota spaces and specific eligibility requirements of individual resettlement schemes.

If your family outside the UK are asylum-seekers, refugees or stateless persons and they have concerns for their safety or wellbeing, they should contact their nearest UNHCR office. Depending on their issues, they may be referred to UNHCR programmes, government services or other support organisations in their country of asylum.

Contact details for UNHCR offices outside the UK can be found here. Many UNHCR offices have online information about how to access services and specific opening times.

If your relatives are at immediate risk and they have not been able to contact their nearest UNHCR office to raise their concerns directly, you can let us know by calling our Helpline at +44 (0) 800 012 1558. However, please note that we cannot provide confidential case information to you and we will normally advise that your relatives continue trying to reach their nearest UNHCR office directly.

Yes. At no point in the resettlement process should a refugee be asked to pay money or to provide any sort of service, either by UNHCR, an external NGO, or any other individual or organization. Anyone that is approached for money or services with the promise of being resettled should raise the incident with their local UNHCR office through confidential complaints boxes or hotline numbers.

If you have complaints about fraud, you can also contact the independent Inspector General’s Office for UNHCR. More information is available here: https://www.unhcr.org/uk/accountability-and-governance/inspector-generals-office-igo