The UK government is reopening its flagship refugee resettlement programme to new referrals, creating another legal pathway for people fleeing war and persecution.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced on 28 September that the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) will once again accept referrals, with the first arrivals expected before the end of 2026.
Around one in four referrals is expected to involve Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees, reflecting the government’s stated focus on people facing conflict and persecution.
The programme will operate in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). The organisations will identify eligible refugees and refer them through established resettlement procedures.
The reopening marks a continuation of Britain’s resettlement efforts for people displaced by major conflicts and crises. Previous programmes have supported refugees affected by the Syrian civil war, the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, alongside separate commitments to people from Hong Kong.
Local authorities will work with the central government to prepare for arrivals, with referrals restarting immediately.
Three additional sponsorship routes planned
The expanded resettlement programme is part of a broader government strategy to increase the number of controlled and legal routes for refugees while reducing reliance on irregular migration.
Three additional sponsorship-based routes were announced in the government's November 2025 Restoring Order and Control policy statement.
From October, charities and non-profit organisations will be able to apply to participate in a community sponsorship route, allowing local communities to provide accommodation and support to refugees. Universities will also be able to participate in a separate student sponsorship route, enabling them to host refugee students.
The first arrivals through both schemes are expected in autumn 2027.
A third work sponsorship route is scheduled to open for applications from companies in spring 2027, with arrivals expected later that year.
Sponsors will be responsible for providing accommodation, helping refugees integrate into British society and supporting them in finding employment. The government says this approach is intended to reduce the burden on local authorities.
Initially, the number of people arriving through the UK Resettlement Scheme and the three new sponsorship routes is expected to be in the hundreds. The government says the overall number could eventually rise into the low thousands as irregular migration falls, with an annual cap determining the number of places available.
Five-year settlement pathway
People admitted through these legal routes will be placed on a five-year pathway towards permanent settlement in the UK.
The government says offering a structured route to settlement is intended to make legal and controlled migration pathways more attractive than irregular journeys, including crossings of the English Channel in small boats.
The resettlement expansion comes alongside a wider programme of immigration enforcement measures.
According to government figures, more than 48,000 attempted small-boat crossings have been stopped since the general election. In the year to March 2026, around 1,900 people accused of immigration offences were arrested, representing a 74% increase on the previous year.
The government also reports that small-boat arrivals have fallen compared with the previous year, with the summer of 2026 recording the lowest number of arrivals since 2021.
At the same time, removals of people without a legal right to remain have increased. The government says more than 80,000 people have been removed from the UK since July 2024, describing this as the highest level in a decade and a 52% increase compared with the previous two years.
The government presents the combination of expanded legal resettlement, sponsorship programmes and increased enforcement as part of its broader effort to reshape the UK's immigration system around capped legal routes and stronger controls on irregular migration. Photo by gov.uk
