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Not an assylum seeker according to Devon and Cornwall police. On twitter yes.....
Their statement doesn't say that and the police in all fairness are great at telling half-truths.
Asylum seekers moved off Bibby Stockholm barge after Legionella bacteria found
https://news.sky.com/story/amp/asyl...arge-after-legionella-bacteria-found-12937904
You mean it's not a 5-star hotel?
Bosch
Landlord.
A well researched piece on the short falls of the UK asylum seeking process, with a lovely quote from an asylum seeker.
https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/2022/06/21/refugee-week-how-can-we-improve-the-asylum-system/
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In Doncaster, much of the dispersal housing lies in outlying areas with few services
Mette Louise Berg
Photo by Rasha Kotaiche
This is Refugee Week – a celebration of ‘the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary’ around the world.
These are difficult times for those seeking sanctuary across the Global North. In the UK specifically, asylum is a contentious and politicised issue, and we only rarely hear and listen to the voices of people who seek asylum. In research for the report we are launching this week, we worked with a group of people with personal experience of the asylum system and organisations supporting them in Doncaster and Halifax in Yorkshire, two dispersal towns. We asked questions about housing, and the way they are being supported, or not. We found a system that was complex, fragmented, and fragile, and set apart from the mainstream welfare system.
Those receiving asylum support have no choice over where or with whom they live during the processing of their case. People seeking asylum are generally not allowed to work, and financial support is substantively less than welfare benefits, leaving people reliant on foodbanks and third sector organisations.
The Home Office has been criticised for its handling of asylum applications, including a substantial backlog, and a growing number of people waiting more than six months for a decision. There are also long-standing issues around the quality and adequacy of asylum accommodation, including widespread use of ‘contingency’ accommodation, inadequate support, and poor communication and stakeholder engagement. People in asylum properties feel they are not being listened to when they report issues or problems in their accommodation. They are struggling to survive on the financial support they are given.
In our research, we found that dispersal housing in Halifax in particular was often of poor quality. It was difficult for people in the asylum system to report issues, and it often took a long time for repairs to be carried out. In Doncaster, asylum dispersal housing is increasingly procured in outlying villages, creating a fragmented geography of micro-dispersal, which makes it difficult for people in the system to access support, and for support organisations to help.
We recommend that support for those seeking asylum should be incorporated into the mainstream welfare system. Alongside this, priority should be given to reducing asylum application processing times and enhancing decision-making. The Home Office should also improve coordination and communication with all stakeholders. People in the asylum system should be allowed to work across the board, not just in jobs on the shortage occupation list. This would enable people to live dignified lives free from destitution and to contribute in meaningful ways to their local communities.
Meanwhile, our research suggests that conditions for people awaiting the outcome of their applications could be significantly improved in the following ways:
The UK government recently launched two schemes to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine, invoking a ‘long and proud history of welcoming migrants including recent arrivals from Syria, Afghanistan and Hong Kong’. Migration scholars have long argued that this oft-repeated claim is ringing hollow, and that today’s ‘hostile environment’ for migrants, is related to Britain’s unfinished reckoning with its imperial past.
As Faith and Sanaa El-Khatib, two of the co-researchers who worked with us on the report, wrote last year:
My name is not ‘asylum seeker’. Yes, being an ‘asylum seeker’ is a part of me, but I’m more than that. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Society labels asylum seekers as if we are different, as if we don’t belong. Yes, we are different. We are stronger than everyone else. The sacrifices we make on a daily basis are unimaginable. But have you ever wondered why people are seeking asylum, why are people leaving their country? Everyone has their own dark, upsetting reason to flee their country. But, it’s starting to seem as if asylum seekers are less than humans.
We are people. We have rights. So, respect and feel for us. Welcome us and call us by our names, because my name is not ‘asylum
https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/2022/06/21/refugee-week-how-can-we-improve-the-asylum-system/
CloseSubscribe By EmailRefugee Week: How can we improve the Asylum system?
By Blog Editor, IOE Digital, on 21 June 2022
Mette Louise Berg
Photo by Rasha Kotaiche
This is Refugee Week – a celebration of ‘the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary’ around the world.
These are difficult times for those seeking sanctuary across the Global North. In the UK specifically, asylum is a contentious and politicised issue, and we only rarely hear and listen to the voices of people who seek asylum. In research for the report we are launching this week, we worked with a group of people with personal experience of the asylum system and organisations supporting them in Doncaster and Halifax in Yorkshire, two dispersal towns. We asked questions about housing, and the way they are being supported, or not. We found a system that was complex, fragmented, and fragile, and set apart from the mainstream welfare system.
Those receiving asylum support have no choice over where or with whom they live during the processing of their case. People seeking asylum are generally not allowed to work, and financial support is substantively less than welfare benefits, leaving people reliant on foodbanks and third sector organisations.
The Home Office has been criticised for its handling of asylum applications, including a substantial backlog, and a growing number of people waiting more than six months for a decision. There are also long-standing issues around the quality and adequacy of asylum accommodation, including widespread use of ‘contingency’ accommodation, inadequate support, and poor communication and stakeholder engagement. People in asylum properties feel they are not being listened to when they report issues or problems in their accommodation. They are struggling to survive on the financial support they are given.
In our research, we found that dispersal housing in Halifax in particular was often of poor quality. It was difficult for people in the asylum system to report issues, and it often took a long time for repairs to be carried out. In Doncaster, asylum dispersal housing is increasingly procured in outlying villages, creating a fragmented geography of micro-dispersal, which makes it difficult for people in the system to access support, and for support organisations to help.
We recommend that support for those seeking asylum should be incorporated into the mainstream welfare system. Alongside this, priority should be given to reducing asylum application processing times and enhancing decision-making. The Home Office should also improve coordination and communication with all stakeholders. People in the asylum system should be allowed to work across the board, not just in jobs on the shortage occupation list. This would enable people to live dignified lives free from destitution and to contribute in meaningful ways to their local communities.
Meanwhile, our research suggests that conditions for people awaiting the outcome of their applications could be significantly improved in the following ways:
- A choice of accommodation and location, e.g., to enable asylum seekers to settle close to co-ethnic networks, friends, and families;
- Inclusion and sustainable communities to be a key priority in the accommodation procurement process. This would mean consultation with local authorities and communities, and careful consideration of availability of services, support, and local transport;
- Consistent provision of adequate, localised induction for people when they are moved to dispersal accommodation;
- Adequately furnished accommodation with minimum standards to include Wi-Fi, televisions, and vacuum cleaners;
- Straightforward systems for reporting problems in asylum properties so that disrepair and infestation issues are tackled promptly.
The UK government recently launched two schemes to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine, invoking a ‘long and proud history of welcoming migrants including recent arrivals from Syria, Afghanistan and Hong Kong’. Migration scholars have long argued that this oft-repeated claim is ringing hollow, and that today’s ‘hostile environment’ for migrants, is related to Britain’s unfinished reckoning with its imperial past.
As Faith and Sanaa El-Khatib, two of the co-researchers who worked with us on the report, wrote last year:
My name is not ‘asylum seeker’. Yes, being an ‘asylum seeker’ is a part of me, but I’m more than that. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Society labels asylum seekers as if we are different, as if we don’t belong. Yes, we are different. We are stronger than everyone else. The sacrifices we make on a daily basis are unimaginable. But have you ever wondered why people are seeking asylum, why are people leaving their country? Everyone has their own dark, upsetting reason to flee their country. But, it’s starting to seem as if asylum seekers are less than humans.
We are people. We have rights. So, respect and feel for us. Welcome us and call us by our names, because my name is not ‘asylum
They had an hours phone in on the subject today well worth a listen -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001ph4h/nicky-campbell-11082023
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001ph4h/nicky-campbell-11082023
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.co...ws/newquay-rape-leads-new-protest-8273438.amp
Moldovan on a short term visa.
My point still stands. It's weird for the police to say he wasn't a resident of the hotel rather than he simply wasn't a refugee.
Poor girl. I see the case against him got thrown out.
No you were wrong, you said 'some are doing far worse' giving Newquay as an example. It wasn't an asylum seeker that allegedly raped that girl. Nothing to do with asylum seekers.
I was referring to my point that the police could have easily defused the situation in Newquay but you know that.
Yes, I got it wrong about Newquay (attacker is still to be caught in fairness) but am I wrong about Skegness? No, so my point in my post you quoted stands also.
Letting people that arrive here on boats with no documentation just wander about is not fair to the people already living here. My mind will never be changed about that.
Yes, I got it wrong about Newquay (attacker is still to be caught in fairness) but am I wrong about Skegness? No, so my point in my post you quoted stands also.
Letting people that arrive here on boats with no documentation just wander about is not fair to the people already living here. My mind will never be changed about that.
Glad you admitted you were wrong. 
I couldn't give a jot about Skegness, you said about Newquay, and I told you that that was bollocks. There are bad people everywhere, many of them aren't assylum seekers.
Long night shift, I'm off to bed.
I couldn't give a jot about Skegness, you said about Newquay, and I told you that that was bollocks. There are bad people everywhere, many of them aren't assylum seekers.
Long night shift, I'm off to bed.
Wrong. Your post lists routes that certain people can use to get to this country, but none of these routes allows you to claim asylum. This government is making it worse, by saying that if you arrive in this country illegally, then you can't claim asylum. But there is no legal route here under which you can claim asylum.
Current safe and legal routes to the UK do not involve applying for asylum
11 AUGUST 2023WHAT WAS CLAIMED
The government is ensuring that the only way to come to the UK for asylum will be through safe and legal routes.OUR VERDICT
There are currently no visa routes available for the purposes of travelling to the UK to claim asylum, and it is not possible to apply for asylum in the UK without being physically present here. The UK does operate some safe and legal routes for the purpose of providing humanitarian and other forms of protection to vulnerable people, but these do not involve being granted asylum by the UK.In a video shared on Twitter the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claims that, as part of his plan to “stop the boats”, he is “ensuring that the only way to come to the UK for asylum will be through safe and legal routes”.
The government has said previously that it will create safe and legal routes to travel to the UK for asylum “as we get a grip on illegal migration”. We don’t know any further details about these plans, and we’ve asked Number 10 whether the Prime Minister was intending to refer to these potential future routes, as seems likely.
There are currently no safe and legal routes by which to travel to the UK for the purpose of claiming asylum.
As we’ve previously explained, and as the UK government itself has stated, there are currently no visa routes available for this purpose, and it is not possible to apply for asylum in the UK without being physically present here.
The Illegal Migration Act, which received Royal Assent, becoming law, on 20 July, has also made asylum claims by people who arrive in the UK “in breach of immigration control”, including by crossing the channel in small boats, inadmissible.
It is important that Ministers ensure any claims they make about the routes available for people to come to the UK to seek asylum are accurate and clear, to avoid causing confusion, both for people who are in this situation, and more broadly within the debate over immigration. If a Minister makes a claim about this topic which is unclear or lacks vital context, they should take steps to clarify this at the earliest opportunity.
Honesty in public debate matters
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What “safe and legal routes” are currently available?
The UK does operate some safe and legal routes for the purpose of providing humanitarian and other forms of protection to vulnerable people. We’ve also written about these routes on several previous occasions.The UK currently operates three resettlement schemes, through which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies people eligible for resettlement in the UK, and refers cases to the Home Office for consideration. Under these schemes, those resettled in the UK have already been recognised as refugees by the UNHCR, rather than seeking asylum (or refugee status) directly from or on arrival in the UK.
According to the UN’s refugee agency, since 2015 around 28,000 refugees have arrived in the UK through UK resettlement schemes operated in partnership with UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.
The UK also operates schemes specifically for Afghan, Ukrainian and Hong Kong nationals, as well as a family reunion route for close family members of people who have already been granted protection in the UK, which is open to all nationalities. Again, under these schemes, those coming to the UK qualify to stay in the UK without having to seek asylum on arrival.
The government says it offered approximately 481,804 people routes to the UK through these various schemes between 2015 and 2022, of whom almost half (233,770) were from Ukraine.
An update shared to the Prime Minister’s Facebook page on 7 August stated that “At the same time [as taking action to ‘stop the boats’] we have housed over half a million people through our safe legal routes, including over 182,000 Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s aggression, and 25,000 Afghan citizens escaping the Taliban”, which would appear to refer to this cumulative figure for the number of people provided protection by the UK over the last seven years. As we have noted, this is not the same as people applying for asylum.
The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford says: “To claim asylum in the UK, a person must be in the UK. It is not possible to apply from outside the country, and there is no asylum visa to enable people to travel to the UK legally to apply for asylum. Therefore, for citizens who do not have visa-free travel to the UK, to claim asylum in the UK, they must enter either irregularly, such as by small boat, lorry, or by using false documents, or on a visa for some other purpose, such as tourism or study.
It adds: “Refugee resettlement is separate from the asylum process. In the asylum process, people must apply for asylum whilst in the UK. By contrast, it is not possible to apply for refugee resettlement. Instead, refugees are selected by the UN for resettlement, and transferred to the UK with the agreement of the Home Office, where they receive refugee status on arrival.”
Image courtesy of Chris McAndrew
- By Hannah Smith
There are no legal routes for asylum seekers. What you posted does not prove that there is.
What safe and legal routes does the UK offer?
The UK offers the following safe and legal routes:UK Resettlement Scheme
The global resettlement scheme is open to vulnerable refugees around the world. Individuals coming through this scheme are assessed and referred by the UNHCR according to their criteria, which is based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities.People coming via this route only move to the UK once suitable accommodation is in place for them. Since its launch in 2021, the UK has taken refugees through this route from countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
Since the first arrivals under the new UK Resettlement scheme in March 2021, 2,023 refugees have been resettled in the UK via the UKRS, as of December 2022.
Community Sponsorship
Community Sponsorship enables civil society - friends and neighbours, charities and faith groups - to directly support refugees resettled in the UK as they start their new lives in safety.Since the scheme began in 2016, a total of 942 refugees have been resettled through Community Sponsorship, including 15 since the start of the ACRS, according to the latest published data (year ending December 2022).
Mandate Scheme
The Mandate Scheme, launched in 1995, is a global scheme that resettles refugees who have a close family member in the UK who is willing to accommodate them.The publication of the data relating to the Mandate Resettlement scheme commenced in 2008. Since then, as of December 2022, 441 individuals have been resettled through this scheme.
Family Reunion
Our refugee family reunion policy provides a safe and legal route for families to be reunited. This allows immediate family members (partner and children under 18, and over 18 in exceptional circumstances) of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of a family unit before the sponsor left their country to seek protection.There are separate provisions in the Immigration Rules to allow extended family members to sponsor children to come here where there are serious and compelling circumstances. In addition, refugees can sponsor adult dependent relatives living overseas to join them where, due to age, illness, or disability, that person requires long-term personal care that can only be provided by relatives in the UK.
There is also discretion to grant leave outside of the Immigration Rules which caters for extended family members in exceptional circumstances.
Our family reunion policy has reunited many refugees with their family members; more than 44,600 family reunion visas have been granted since 2015, with over half issued to children.
Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme
In January 2022, we announced the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), one of the most generous schemes in UK history. This response to the situation in Afghanistan will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK, through a safe and legal route.The ACRS prioritises those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, or rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, academics, and journalists); and vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk.
More than 7,600 eligible people have already been granted settled status through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), launched on 1 April 2021, offers relocation to eligible Afghan citizens who worked for, or with, the UK Government locally in Afghanistan. The ARAP recognises the service of eligible Afghan citizens and the risks arising to them and their dependent family members due to their work.Since April 2021, we have relocated more than 12,000 Afghans to the UK under the ARAP scheme.
As of December 2022, we have granted settlement to 6,235 individuals since April 2021, in addition to 1,400 former staff and families who were relocated between 2013 and March 2021 under the previous ex-gratia scheme for Afghan interpreters.
Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas)
On 31 January 2021, the UK Government launched the Hong Kong BN(O) Immigration route in response to China’s passing of the National Security Law which significantly impacts the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.Over 153,700 BN(O) Hong Kong visas have been granted as of the end of December 2022, of which 105,200 have arrived in the UK.
On 30 November 2022, the BN(O) route was expanded to enable adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born on or after 1 July 1997 to apply to the route independently of their parents. This will ensure this cohort who were not eligible for BN(O) status and who may not have been able to apply to the route previously, can now choose to make the UK their home.
The BN(O) route is not a refugee resettlement route, but is a safe and legal route to the UK for those eligible.
Ukraine schemes
In response to Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, we launched one of the fastest visa schemes in UK history. The UK government has devised three bespoke visa routes for the people of Ukraine, working in close communication with the Ukrainian Government.167,600 Ukrainians have now arrived safely in the UK through our Ukraine visa schemes.
As of 21 March 2023, the UK Government has issued 223,000 visas under the Ukraine Schemes, of which 156,000 visas have been issued under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We have also extended permission to stay to 24,300 Ukrainians who were already present in the UK.
.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/illegal-migration-bill-factsheets/safe-and-legal-routes
Part 1
The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who genuinely need it through our safe and legal routes.
Since 2015, we have offered a safe and legal route to the UK to almost half a million men, women and children seeking safety, as well as family members of refugees. In fact, the UK is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.
Our UK Resettlement Scheme, including Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement schemes, allow us to support the most vulnerable refugees direct from regions of conflict and instability. Through these schemes, the UNHCR refers refugees they have assessed as in need of resettlement to the UK.
Our safe and legal routes are some of the most generous anywhere. However, we cannot accommodate everyone who wants to come to the UK and we are not able to open a bespoke route for every situation.
It is our longstanding principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. For many people, it is in their best interests to stay close to the region or in a neighbouring country where there are often similarities in culture and language, and they can be supported by international organisations, including the UN.
The top nationalities on resettlement routes from 2015 to 2022 include people from Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia.
The top nationalities who have come to the UK through the Family Reunion route from 2015 to 2022 include people from Syria, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan and Pakistan.
Data on the nationalities that have come to the UK through our safe and legal routes can be seen in the Quarterly Immigration Statistics
Where somebody has a link to the UK, they may be eligible for our family routes, while our UK Resettlement, Community Sponsorship and Mandate schemes are accessible to refugees who have been assessed for resettlement by the UNHCR.
There are additional safe and legal routes for people to come to the UK to work or study provided they meet the requirements of the relevant immigration rules under which they are applying. For example, through our Displaced Talent programme, we are supporting refugees to access skilled worker visas where they meet the criteria.
If someone has come to the UK legally, and circumstances in their home country change, such that it is no longer safe for them to return home, they can claim asylum.
Those who wish to claim asylum should do so in the first safe country they arrive and typically those fleeing humanitarian disasters remain in the region in which they have been displaced. There are no visa routes to enable people to claim asylum in the UK from overseas – just as there are no ways to apply for asylum from outside many other countries, such as Sweden or Germany.
As the illegal migration bill sets out, an annual number of people coming through on safe and legal routes will be set by Parliament and in consultation with local authorities.
We work closely with the UNHCR to identify those who would benefit most from resettlement in the UK.
The UNHCR resettlement categories are:
The UNHCR recognise refugees as those who are deemed unable to return to their original home country or remain in their host country.
The number of refugees we resettle every year through the UKRS depends on a variety of factors including future government funding commitments and local authorities’ capacity for supporting refugees.
Part 1
The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who genuinely need it through our safe and legal routes.
Since 2015, we have offered a safe and legal route to the UK to almost half a million men, women and children seeking safety, as well as family members of refugees. In fact, the UK is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.
Our UK Resettlement Scheme, including Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement schemes, allow us to support the most vulnerable refugees direct from regions of conflict and instability. Through these schemes, the UNHCR refers refugees they have assessed as in need of resettlement to the UK.
Our safe and legal routes are some of the most generous anywhere. However, we cannot accommodate everyone who wants to come to the UK and we are not able to open a bespoke route for every situation.
It is our longstanding principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. For many people, it is in their best interests to stay close to the region or in a neighbouring country where there are often similarities in culture and language, and they can be supported by international organisations, including the UN.
How many people have been offered safe and legal routes?
Between 2015 and 2022, we have offered places to almost half a million (481,804) people seeking safety. This includes:- 44,659 family reunion grants since 2015
- 233,770 people under Ukraine Scheme visas, of which at least 154,500 have arrived in the UK
- 153,708 BN(O) status holders and their family members, of which 105,200 have arrived in the UK
- 49,667 vulnerable people and children as part of Afghan resettlement and relocation, the Syrian Resettlement programme and other resettlement programmes (e.g. UK Resettlement scheme, which has resettled 2,023 since its launch in 2021)
Which nationalities has the UK helped – other than Afghans, Ukrainians, and Hong- Kongers?
Our safe and legal routes have provided refuge for people from all over the world.The top nationalities on resettlement routes from 2015 to 2022 include people from Syria, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia.
The top nationalities who have come to the UK through the Family Reunion route from 2015 to 2022 include people from Syria, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan and Pakistan.
Data on the nationalities that have come to the UK through our safe and legal routes can be seen in the Quarterly Immigration Statistics
How can people from countries like Iran come to the UK through safe and legal routes?
The UK is committed to supporting those directly from regions of conflict and instability.Where somebody has a link to the UK, they may be eligible for our family routes, while our UK Resettlement, Community Sponsorship and Mandate schemes are accessible to refugees who have been assessed for resettlement by the UNHCR.
There are additional safe and legal routes for people to come to the UK to work or study provided they meet the requirements of the relevant immigration rules under which they are applying. For example, through our Displaced Talent programme, we are supporting refugees to access skilled worker visas where they meet the criteria.
If someone has come to the UK legally, and circumstances in their home country change, such that it is no longer safe for them to return home, they can claim asylum.
Those who wish to claim asylum should do so in the first safe country they arrive and typically those fleeing humanitarian disasters remain in the region in which they have been displaced. There are no visa routes to enable people to claim asylum in the UK from overseas – just as there are no ways to apply for asylum from outside many other countries, such as Sweden or Germany.
Will you create a new safe and legal route?
We are committed to providing routes, including exploring new routes, to safety for vulnerable people across the globe, but we must first grip the rise in illegal migration and stop the boats.As the illegal migration bill sets out, an annual number of people coming through on safe and legal routes will be set by Parliament and in consultation with local authorities.
How does the UNHCR assess people for resettlement in the UK?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) role is to identify those living in formal refugee camps, informal settlements and host communities and assess whether an individual is a recognised refugee and is able to be prioritised for a resettlement place based on their specific level of risk.We work closely with the UNHCR to identify those who would benefit most from resettlement in the UK.
The UNHCR resettlement categories are:
- legal and / or physical protection needs
- survivors of violence and / or torture
- medical needs
- women and girls at risk
- family reunification
- children and adolescents at risk
- lack of foreseeable alternative durable solutions
The UNHCR recognise refugees as those who are deemed unable to return to their original home country or remain in their host country.
The number of refugees we resettle every year through the UKRS depends on a variety of factors including future government funding commitments and local authorities’ capacity for supporting refugees.
Part 2
People coming via this route only move to the UK once suitable accommodation is in place for them. Since its launch in 2021, the UK has taken refugees through this route from countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
Since the first arrivals under the new UK Resettlement scheme in March 2021, 2,023 refugees have been resettled in the UK via the UKRS, as of December 2022.
Since the scheme began in 2016, a total of 942 refugees have been resettled through Community Sponsorship, including 15 since the start of the ACRS, according to the latest published data (year ending December 2022).
The publication of the data relating to the Mandate Resettlement scheme commenced in 2008. Since then, as of December 2022, 441 individuals have been resettled through this scheme.
There are separate provisions in the Immigration Rules to allow extended family members to sponsor children to come here where there are serious and compelling circumstances. In addition, refugees can sponsor adult dependent relatives living overseas to join them where, due to age, illness, or disability, that person requires long-term personal care that can only be provided by relatives in the UK.
There is also discretion to grant leave outside of the Immigration Rules which caters for extended family members in exceptional circumstances.
Our family reunion policy has reunited many refugees with their family members; more than 44,600 family reunion visas have been granted since 2015, with over half issued to children.
The ACRS prioritises those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, or rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, academics, and journalists); and vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk.
More than 7,600 eligible people have already been granted settled status through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Since April 2021, we have relocated more than 12,000 Afghans to the UK under the ARAP scheme.
As of December 2022, we have granted settlement to 6,235 individuals since April 2021, in addition to 1,400 former staff and families who were relocated between 2013 and March 2021 under the previous ex-gratia scheme for Afghan interpreters.
Over 153,700 BN(O) Hong Kong visas have been granted as of the end of December 2022, of which 105,200 have arrived in the UK.
On 30 November 2022, the BN(O) route was expanded to enable adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born on or after 1 July 1997 to apply to the route independently of their parents. This will ensure this cohort who were not eligible for BN(O) status and who may not have been able to apply to the route previously, can now choose to make the UK their home.
The BN(O) route is not a refugee resettlement route, but is a safe and legal route to the UK for those eligible.
167,600 Ukrainians have now arrived safely in the UK through our Ukraine visa schemes.
As of 21 March 2023, the UK Government has issued 223,000 visas under the Ukraine Schemes, of which 156,000 visas have been issued under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We have also extended permission to stay to 24,300 Ukrainians who were already present in the UK.
Ukraine visa scheme data is updated weekly here: Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Some examples include providing £95 million to aid refugees and vulnerable people in Jordan and humanitarian support for Rohingya people in Bangladesh.
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What safe and legal routes does the UK offer?
The UK offers the following safe and legal routes:UK Resettlement Scheme
The global resettlement scheme is open to vulnerable refugees around the world. Individuals coming through this scheme are assessed and referred by the UNHCR according to their criteria, which is based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities.People coming via this route only move to the UK once suitable accommodation is in place for them. Since its launch in 2021, the UK has taken refugees through this route from countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
Since the first arrivals under the new UK Resettlement scheme in March 2021, 2,023 refugees have been resettled in the UK via the UKRS, as of December 2022.
Community Sponsorship
Community Sponsorship enables civil society - friends and neighbours, charities and faith groups - to directly support refugees resettled in the UK as they start their new lives in safety.Since the scheme began in 2016, a total of 942 refugees have been resettled through Community Sponsorship, including 15 since the start of the ACRS, according to the latest published data (year ending December 2022).
Mandate Scheme
The Mandate Scheme, launched in 1995, is a global scheme that resettles refugees who have a close family member in the UK who is willing to accommodate them.The publication of the data relating to the Mandate Resettlement scheme commenced in 2008. Since then, as of December 2022, 441 individuals have been resettled through this scheme.
Family Reunion
Our refugee family reunion policy provides a safe and legal route for families to be reunited. This allows immediate family members (partner and children under 18, and over 18 in exceptional circumstances) of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of a family unit before the sponsor left their country to seek protection.There are separate provisions in the Immigration Rules to allow extended family members to sponsor children to come here where there are serious and compelling circumstances. In addition, refugees can sponsor adult dependent relatives living overseas to join them where, due to age, illness, or disability, that person requires long-term personal care that can only be provided by relatives in the UK.
There is also discretion to grant leave outside of the Immigration Rules which caters for extended family members in exceptional circumstances.
Our family reunion policy has reunited many refugees with their family members; more than 44,600 family reunion visas have been granted since 2015, with over half issued to children.
Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme
In January 2022, we announced the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), one of the most generous schemes in UK history. This response to the situation in Afghanistan will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK, through a safe and legal route.The ACRS prioritises those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, or rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, academics, and journalists); and vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk.
More than 7,600 eligible people have already been granted settled status through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), launched on 1 April 2021, offers relocation to eligible Afghan citizens who worked for, or with, the UK Government locally in Afghanistan. The ARAP recognises the service of eligible Afghan citizens and the risks arising to them and their dependent family members due to their work.Since April 2021, we have relocated more than 12,000 Afghans to the UK under the ARAP scheme.
As of December 2022, we have granted settlement to 6,235 individuals since April 2021, in addition to 1,400 former staff and families who were relocated between 2013 and March 2021 under the previous ex-gratia scheme for Afghan interpreters.
Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas)
On 31 January 2021, the UK Government launched the Hong Kong BN(O) Immigration route in response to China’s passing of the National Security Law which significantly impacts the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.Over 153,700 BN(O) Hong Kong visas have been granted as of the end of December 2022, of which 105,200 have arrived in the UK.
On 30 November 2022, the BN(O) route was expanded to enable adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born on or after 1 July 1997 to apply to the route independently of their parents. This will ensure this cohort who were not eligible for BN(O) status and who may not have been able to apply to the route previously, can now choose to make the UK their home.
The BN(O) route is not a refugee resettlement route, but is a safe and legal route to the UK for those eligible.
Ukraine schemes
In response to Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, we launched one of the fastest visa schemes in UK history. The UK government has devised three bespoke visa routes for the people of Ukraine, working in close communication with the Ukrainian Government.167,600 Ukrainians have now arrived safely in the UK through our Ukraine visa schemes.
As of 21 March 2023, the UK Government has issued 223,000 visas under the Ukraine Schemes, of which 156,000 visas have been issued under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. We have also extended permission to stay to 24,300 Ukrainians who were already present in the UK.
Ukraine visa scheme data is updated weekly here: Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Do you provide other support for refugees other than safe and legal routes?
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office provide humanitarian aid and support to refugees around the world.Some examples include providing £95 million to aid refugees and vulnerable people in Jordan and humanitarian support for Rohingya people in Bangladesh.
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As it says below "as of 10 August, 15,826 people have crossed the Channel in a small boat this year" i wonder how many didn't make it, will they ever stop these dangerous channel crossings?
Six people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the English Channel.
A joint rescue operation by the British and French coastguards have rescued more than 50 others, authorities said.
A number of people were seen being brought off a lifeboat on stretchers in Dover. The extent of the other injuries is unclear.
The RNLI said a lifeboat crew was launched just before 04:00 BST.
A volunteer, who was on one of the rescue boats, told Reuters news agency migrants were using shoes to bale water out of the sinking boat.
Anne Thorel said there had been "too many" people on the boat.
The UK Home Office has been asked for more details about the incident while Home Secretary Suella Braverman is expected to chair a meeting this morning.
Another small boat also got into difficulty but all on board have been rescued, the UK Coastguard said.
As of 10 August, 15,826 people have crossed the Channel in a small boat this year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66484699
Migrant boat sinks in Channel killing six people
- Published
6 minutes a
- Published
Six people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank in the English Channel.
A joint rescue operation by the British and French coastguards have rescued more than 50 others, authorities said.
A number of people were seen being brought off a lifeboat on stretchers in Dover. The extent of the other injuries is unclear.
The RNLI said a lifeboat crew was launched just before 04:00 BST.
A volunteer, who was on one of the rescue boats, told Reuters news agency migrants were using shoes to bale water out of the sinking boat.
Anne Thorel said there had been "too many" people on the boat.
The UK Home Office has been asked for more details about the incident while Home Secretary Suella Braverman is expected to chair a meeting this morning.
Another small boat also got into difficulty but all on board have been rescued, the UK Coastguard said.
As of 10 August, 15,826 people have crossed the Channel in a small boat this year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66484699
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