34th Report - The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement programme
- HC No.
- HC 768
- Published
- 13 Jan 2017
- Items
- 0
- Response
- No response document linked
Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee
Syrian Resettlement Programme inquiry
Status: Closed
Opened: 17 Oct 2016
Closed: 4 Jan 2018
1 report
Inquiry scope
The programme to resettle vulnerable Syrian refugees in the UK was successfully expanded at speed in order to reach an interim target to resettle 1,000 people by Christmas 2015, according to a recent report by the National Audit Office , but the programme team will need to resettle more people each quarter than they have done so far in order to meet the overall target to resettle 20,000 people by May 2020. The programme team has secured enough indicative pledges from local authorities to meet the target, but it is essential that these pledges materialise into firm offers of support. The programme is only open to Syrian refugees registered in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey. The NAO found that in achieving the target to resettle 1,000 Syrian refugees by Christmas 2015 there was good partnership working across central and local government, strong working relationships with international partners and the goodwill and determination of all organisations involved. While local authorities have worked hard to provide resettlement places, they have not however always understood central government’s expectations of them after the first year of the programme. National Audit Office report The National Audit Office report found that there was no estimate of the total cost of the programme to the UK. Costs fall to different central government departments and participating local authorities. Most of the costs of each refugee’s first year in the UK are covered by the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget. This changes in the second year, after which costs for health and education fall to the relevant department, as they do for all citizens. Based on departments' assumptions about the characteristics of those entering the programme, the services or level of support they will require and unit costs, the NAO estimates the programme could cost the UK up to £1,112 million to the end of 2019–20 and up to £1,734 million over its lifetime.Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 2016 | No witnesses recorded | View ↗ |
Correspondence
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