Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 32
32
Accepted
Paragraph: 196
Replicate the successful VPRS approach within the UK Resettlement Scheme and in future migrant crises.
Recommendation
The Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) provides a recent good practice example of an effective resettlement scheme, which was successfully scaled up in response to a migrant crisis. The scheme was adequately and predictably funded with a clear target for the number of refugees to be resettled, providing local authorities with the certainty they needed to plan and take part with confidence. The VPRS included a clear package of integration support, with improvements made to housing and employment support over time. The Government should replicate the VPRS approach in the UK Resettlement Scheme and in response to future migrant crises.
Government Response Summary
The government states that the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) is a direct successor to the VPRS, building on its success with a flexible approach and a core tariff for local authorities based on the VPRS integration package. It also highlights the new Refugee Employability Programme to strengthen integration.
Paragraph Reference:
196
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
In relation to the recommendation at paragraph 196, upon successful completion of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS), through which over 20,000 vulnerable refugees affected by the conflict in Syria were resettled to the UK, the Government launched the global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) on 25 February 2021. The UKRS is a direct successor to the VPRS and builds upon the success of this prior scheme. Instead of focusing on a specific region, the UKRS has expanded the geographic focus of resettlement beyond the Middle East and North Africa to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for some of the most vulnerable refugees around the world. This is to allow for a more agile and flexible approach to resettlement that is able to respond to developing crises anywhere in the world. In the initial year, the Government had set out an aim to resettle 5,000 refugees under the UKRS. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery, the number resettled in the first year was impacted. Since the launch of the UKRS, over 2,100 refugees have been resettled. This is in addition to the UK’s other global resettlement schemes and bespoke safe and legal routes for those from Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Ukraine and the family members of refugees. Between 2015 and March 2023, over half a million people were offered a safe and legal route into the UK. 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. Whilst maintaining these generous safe and legal routes, the Government recognises the burdens on local authorities in providing accommodation. The Illegal Migration Bill will introduce a cap on the number of people brought to the UK through safe and legal routes each year. The cap will be based on the UK’s capacity to accommodate and support those arriving effectively and will be determined through consultation with local authorities and relevant other organisations. It is only by determining a realistic picture on capacity that the UK can continue to operate safe and legal routes for protection and ensure these routes form part of a well-managed and sustainable migration system. We will keep the cap under review, and also take into account any future humanitarian crises as they arise, just as the UK offered sanctuary to thousands of Ukrainians and Afghans. The Government remains committed to ensuring that those resettled can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK. Refugees in the UK have access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration. We work across Government, and in partnership with local authorities, strategic migration partners and community sponsors to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees; and we provide local authorities with a core tariff to cover resettlement and integration costs for individuals arriving via the UKRS. This tariff is based upon the integration package provided for those resettled under the VPRS. We have further adapted our approach to further strengthen refugee integration through the Refugee Employability Programme (REP), a new integration and employability support service for refugees that will operate across England, due to open this summer.