UK to open new refugee resettlement routes for Afghan women and Palestinians
Exclusive: Move by Shabana Mahmood comes after closure of Afghan scheme last year but experts say numbers too small to deter Channel crossings
TL;DR
- A new legal route for refugees will prioritize Afghan women, girls, and Palestinians.
- This scheme offers a faster path to permanent status for vulnerable refugees.
- The move is seen as a shift in approach following the closure of the Afghan resettlement scheme.
- Immigration experts and charities question if the numbers eligible will be sufficient to deter asylum seekers crossing the Channel.
- The scheme will include security and criminality checks.
- Those arriving via this route will have a more generous path to indefinite leave to remain.
- Other settlement schemes allowing community and work sponsorship are also being confirmed.
- The Home Office plans to start with hundreds of arrivals, growing to the low thousands, with an annual cap.
- Refugees will be identified by UNHCR and Irap.
- Priority will be given to people with disabilities and vulnerable women and girls.
- Family units can come together, but not extended families.
- The vast majority of refugees arriving via irregular routes will still face new restrictions on their status.