UK reopens refugee scheme with Palestinians among priority groups

BS BULLETIN:

Britain is reopening its UK Resettlement Scheme for new refugee referrals.
Around one-quarter of referrals are expected to be Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees combined.
The government is also opening new pathways allowing charities, universities and eventually businesses to sponsor refugees.

Britain is reopening its refugee resettlement program — and Palestinians who fled Gaza are among the groups the government says will receive priority.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the move at the Labour Party conference this week, saying the UK Resettlement Scheme will again accept new referrals in partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency and the International Refugee Assistance Project.

Around one in four referrals under the reopened program are expected to be Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees combined, according to the Home Office.

The first arrivals under the reopened scheme are expected before the end of 2026.

Mahmood told the Labour conference that offering refuge was part of creating what she called a fair immigration system.

“I know the British people have not given up on their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations, and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution,” Mahmood said.

But she added that the process “must be capped and controlled.”

The reopened program is only part of the government’s plan.

Beginning in October, charities and nonprofit organizations will be able to apply to sponsor refugees through a community sponsorship route, while universities will be able to sponsor refugee students.

Those programs are expected to begin bringing people into Britain in autumn 2027.

Businesses will also eventually be able to participate. Applications for employers to sponsor refugees are scheduled to open in spring 2027.

The Home Office says sponsors will be responsible for providing accommodation, integration assistance and help finding work.

Across the resettlement program and the three new sponsorship routes, the government expects arrivals initially to number in the hundreds.

Officials say that could eventually grow into the low thousands as illegal migration falls.

An annual cap will be imposed.

Sky News reported that refugees admitted through the new routes will undergo identity, security, suitability and criminality checks before traveling to Britain.

Those who enter through the programs will be placed on a five-year path toward permanent settlement.

The government says that is intentionally more generous than the treatment of migrants who enter Britain illegally, part of an effort to steer people toward controlled legal routes instead.

The announcement immediately drew criticism from Britain’s political right.

Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued the government should not bring in additional asylum seekers until illegal migration has been brought close to zero.

Reform UK also criticized the expansion.

Mahmood, however, presented the policy as the other half of a tougher border strategy — cracking down on illegal crossings while creating limited legal pathways for refugees selected through government-approved programs.