We are at a pivotal moment in the UK’s history of giving shelter and security to those fleeing war and persecution. The UK is one of the world leaders in welcoming people who are in need of safety, security and compassion through our refugee resettlement programmes. The UK government are now close to fulfilling the commitment made in September 2015 to resettle 20,000 refugees from the Syrian conflict by 2020. This flagship resettlement programme has given the opportunity for thousands of people to find safety in the UK. Thanks to this opportunity, families who had lost nearly everything are now successfully building new lives for themselves.
But we are now just months away from that scheme closing and the Home Secretary has given no indication what or if any future commitment they are willing to give refugees who need our help. Without a rapid decision on this, the resettlement of refugees in the UK will virtually end over the next year.
Whilst the news headlines are quieter on the global refugee crisis, on a daily basis people are still having their lives torn apart. Refugees have fled some of the world’s worst atrocities, leaving behind their homes, their jobs and their livelihoods. Many are forced to live in poverty in refugee camps for years. Many children have lived their whole lives in these camps. We mustn’t forget them and we must plan for the future.
New figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show that in the last year 5,777 refugees were resettled in the UK. Communities across the UK are welcoming refugees. Local authorities and charities have worked hard to help refugees integrate into society, helping them to overcome trauma, access housing and rebuild their careers.
People like Emad and Rana. After fleeing brutal violence in their home-country of Syria, the couple were resettled in Hereford along with their 21-year-old son and 23-year-old daughter and her husband. Their son is working in a local factory with a few other young Syrians.
Emad said: “These young men don’t want to rely on benefits and they don’t want to just sit at home doing nothing so they started working and driving, and they are all doing well. They are young and they want to be productive members of society, where they can learn English, work and pay their taxes like everyone else.”
There are more people like Emad and Rana that urgently need help. What the government must do now is plan for the future of refugee resettlement.
Bringing displaced families who have lost everything to the UK and helping them to rebuild their lives involves a huge range of different people and organisations to make it work. Budgets need to be set, English language classes booked, school places identified, and volunteers and interpreters recruited. All of this is essential for successful resettlement and all of this does take time.
That’s why the Refugee Council, Refugee Action and British Red Cross are calling on the government to start these plans and announce a new commitment to resettling refugees to the UK as a matter of urgency. The clock is ticking. We simply can’t risk a gap in services. Refugees won’t stop needing our help after next year.
Without delay we need an ambitious resettlement programme that gives equal support and opportunities to all refugees, regardless of what country they come from.
Earlier this year the Refugee Council, alongside the UNHCR and the government, hosted a global resettlement conference in Sheffield with the brightest minds across the world sharing best practice and learnings to improve integration, and this will be followed by another international event in Geneva in July. Despite hosting these international events and celebrating the impact of resettlement, the government has made no commitment about their own future plans.
We’ve been told that plans are on hold because of the government budget procedures surrounding the Comprehensive Spending Review, but providing refugees with a route to safety and a chance to rebuild their lives is more important than internal processes.
We want to see resettlement in the UK expanded to welcome at least 10,000 people each year who are fleeing the horrors of their own countries. This is the scale of the help the UK should be giving. It’s vital that we treat all refugees with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Once resettled to the UK, with the right support - provided through charities such as ours and the commitment of communities and thousands of dedicated volunteers - such as access to English classes and therapeutic care, refugees can and will contribute to the UK in a whole host of ways. Through volunteering themselves, opening businesses and creating jobs, to paying tax - they become a vital part of their local communities.
There’s huge support for refugee resettlement in the UK. Over 150 local authorities have chosen to be part of it. MPs across the political spectrum are rightly proud of our national programme and the work done to support refugees in their area. Ministers too are constantly highlighting the scale and success of the programme. The clock is running down. It’s time for a new commitment.
Stephen Hale is chief executive of Refugee Action
Maurice Wren is chief executive of the Refugee Council
Mike Adamson is chief executive of British Red Cross