The need for us, as global citizens, to protect and support refugees has never been more important. As of mid-2021, the UNHCR (the UN refugee body) registered a staggering 84 million people worldwide as forcibly displaced, the highest number ever registered. Of this population, a record 26.6 million people are identified as refugees, 68% of which originate from just five countries – the Syrian Arab Republic, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar (UNHCR’s Refugee Population Statistics Database).
In Syria, over a decade of ongoing conflict and crisis has resulted in one of the world’s largest humanitarian and refugee crises. It is estimated that around 6.6. million Syrian refugees need our support and protection worldwide, many of which are hosted by countries neighbouring Syria (UNHCR Syria Emergency).
Following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, Afghanistan has also been in a state of emergency, with the UN warning the country is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. Over 5.7 million Afghans and host communities have fled to neighbouring countries, with a remaining 24 million people requiring vital humanitarian aid within Afghanistan (UNHCR Afghanistan Emergency).
On 24 February 2022, Russia also launched its full-scale military assault and invasion of Ukraine, triggering another humanitarian emergency and significant global refugee crisis. As at the end of March 2022, the UN estimates that around 4 million people have fled war-torn Ukraine for neighbouring countries, with a remaining 6.5 million people displaced within Ukraine. Sadly, these numbers are likely to rise as the conflict continues.
Over the past decades, the UK has orchestrated and is orchestrating several resettlement schemes in response to these humanitarian crises:
- Syria – In 2014, the UK launched the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). Running until 2020, VPRS offered resettlement for around 20,000 refugees fleeing the crisis (following the expansion of the scheme in 2015). Alongside VPRS, the UK also launched the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) in 2016, which aimed to resettle up to 3,000 at-risk refugee children and their families from the MENA region (GOV.UK). Both schemes concluded in 2021, with VPRS successfully resettling 20,319 refugees and VCRS providing resettlement for 1,838 refugees (GOV.UK).
Community action and support were crucial to the success of these schemes, with RRN and other local organisations playing a vital role in helping Syrian and other refugees settle into their new lives.
- Afghanistan – In April 2021, in response to the changing situation in Afghanistan, the UK launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). This scheme offers relocation or other assistance to formally locally employed staff in Afghanistan.
In January 2022, the UK formally opened a new resettlement programme, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), to support some Afghan citizens. Modelled on VPRS, this scheme will support up to 20,000 Afghan citizens seeking resettlement in the UK (GOV.UK). Local councils and bodies will, once again, be crucial in supporting this humanitarian effort and helping resettle Afghan refugees.
Ukraine – In March 2022, in response to the emerging Russia-Ukrainewar, the UK government launched an extended visa scheme to enablemore eligible Ukrainians to join UK-based family members. Thisexpanded the existing Ukraine-UK visa scheme which only allowedspecific immediate family members to join UK-based families.
On 18 March 2022, the UK government also opened the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. Designed to assist those without UK based family members, this Scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. The Homes for Ukraine Scheme allows anyone in the UK with a spare room or home to offer accommodation to people fleeing Ukraine, provided tenancy is for a minimum of six months.
The Homes for Ukraine Scheme is currently in its early stages (Phase One) so many details remain unannounced. However, the UK Government has already identified that to make the scheme a “success”, communities, charities, faith groups, businesses, councils and devolved governments will need to work together to provide further local support. The UK Government is looking at increasing local authority funding to ensure these stakeholders can provide the wider support needed.
Whilst it is crucial that the UK supports Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, numerous refugee organisations have raised concerns over the current format of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Many questions remain as to how the scheme can avoid excessive bureaucracy and crucially, ensure that proper safety checks are carried out to avoid exploitation of the vulnerable. RRN supports the call for the UK government to provide more information on how the scheme will operate safely and successfully in practice.
- General – As of February 2022, refugees may seek resettlement in the UK through four resettlement programmes (alongside usual asylum routes and processes): (1) ACRS; (2) The UK Resettlement Scheme (launched in 2021 to replace VCRS and VRPS); (3) Community Sponsorship, and (4) Mandate Resettlement Scheme (“UK Refugee Resettlement: Policy Guidance, August 2021”).
Whilst these resettlement schemes are a lifeline for some, many refugees and other persons affected by conflict remain at serious risk and unable to find a safe haven through resettlement.
When thinking about the refugee crisis, it’s also important to remember:
- These numbers are massive. These numbers are people. Many of these people are in a limbo state in other countries around the world and need urgent aid. Beyond each statistic is a person forced to flee everything they know – their home, family, job, and life as they know it.
- Refugees do not leave their country out of choice – for most, it is a life-or-death choice borne out of conflict, persecution, hunger, or climate change (Global Citizen).
- Pictures, stories and information on the issues flood our screens, but it is important to just pause to register the sheer scale.
- Over half the world’s refugees are children. By mid-May 2021, over 1 million children were born as refugees (UNHCR’s Refugee Population Statistics Database).
- There are also 4.4 million asylum-seekers and 4.3 million stateless people who have been denied access to a nationality (if stateless) and basic rights, although the true figures are likely to be much higher (UNHCR’s Refugee Population Statistics Database).
- Despite the numbers seen in boats, on foot, anyway they can move, Europe has taken in just 10% of the world’s refugees (UNHCR’s Refugee Population Statistics Database) – a significantly small number given Europe’s size and wealth. These figures will likely decrease in the UK with the introduction of the Anti-Borders Bill.
- Amazing people across Europe have helped these desperate people but more can and must be done.