What is Refugee Resettlement?
Refugee resettlement involves the selection and transfer of refugees from a host country where they have sought temporary protection - usually somewhere with a very large number of refugees - to a third country which has agreed to admit them as refugees with permanent residence status. Applications for resettlement are processed globally by the UNHCR and transfer is arranged by IOM.
Resettlement Schemes in the UK are entirely designed and funded by the national government.
Oxford City Council has proudly participated in many of the national government schemes and have successfully resettled over 57 refugee families since 2015.
People arriving via these schemes will have immediate Indefinite Leave to Remain and full access to public funds.
Refugee families are housed in private sector accommodation in Oxford so we are always looking for more landlords to take part in our resettlement schemes. Please see our Refugee housing appeal page for further information.
In 2024 Oxford City Council have partnered with a social enterprise - BEAM - to secure additional properties in the private rented sector.
Refugee families resettled under any of the schemes listed below receive a comprehensive package of support to enable them to become self-reliant, to be able to access local amenities and support services independently, to find work and to be integrated into the wider community. Oxford City Council commissions a local charity, Asylum Welcome, to provide intensive support to families, over at least 12 months, to ensure they are settled and can flourish in Oxford. This support includes help with education, employment, schooling, health access, and tenancy responsibilities.
Other partner organisations involved in supporting families on the resettlement schemes have included Aspire, Refugee Resource and Connection Support.
Current resettlement schemes
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) has been established by the Home Office and Ministry of Defence and was launched on 1 April 2021.
Under the policy, Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Government in Afghanistan and who are assessed to be under serious threat to life are offered priority relocation to the UK regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.
Full details of the scheme are published on the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy pages of GOV.UK.
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) opened on 6 January 2022 and is one of the UK’s most ambitious resettlement schemes ever.
The ACRS is designed to support and prioritise those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law and those who are vulnerable, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).
Further details can be found on Afghan citizens resettlement scheme pages of GOV.UK.
The United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)
In 2020, the government consolidated all previous schemes into a new global resettlement scheme, broadening the geographical focus beyond the Middle East and North Africa region and to be better placed to swiftly respond to international crises, in coordination with global partners. The new scheme continues to resettle the most vulnerable refugees, as identified and referred by UNHCR.
Between 2021 and 2023, 8 families have been resettled in Oxford City under the UKRS scheme and 14 families have been resettled under the ARAP and ACRS schemes.
Previous Resettlement Schemes supported by Oxford City Council
Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS)
The Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) was launched by the UK Government in 2015. It was designed to aid Syrians who had fled to neighbouring countries as a result of the conflict in Syria and who were particularly vulnerable.
Oxford City Council is proud to have resettled 30 families under this scheme between 2015-2019. Four of the 30 families came under the VCRS scheme.
Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme (VCRS)
In 2016 Oxford agreed to take families under the Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme (VCRS). This scheme focused on the resettlement of vulnerable children and their immediate families from the Middle East and North Africa. This scheme was run in the same way as the Syrian VPRS scheme.
The vast majority of VPRS and VCRS families were from Syria, with a few of them coming from Sudan and Iraq.
Community Sponsorship
You can apply for community sponsorship on the GOV.UK website.
Oxford City Council was one of the first local authorities in the South East to work with a Home Office-approved Community Sponsorship group. This involves a local volunteer community group providing all the resettlement support for a vulnerable refugee family.
Braid, a group comprising people from the congregation of Blackfriars Catholic Church in Oxford welcomed a refugee family in January 2018. Since then, 2 more families were resettled in 2021 and 2023 thanks to Oxford Welcomes Refugees & Refugee Welcome - Wesley Memorial.
“Oxford is a welcoming and safe city for refugees. I am delighted that we have successfully resettled 30 families and helped 131 people, including community sponsorship people, rebuild their lives here. Together with our partners Asylum Welcome, Connection Support, Aspire and Refugee Resource, our work with refugees ensures that they are supported to maintain tenancies in the private sector, learn English, move into employment, and access the health and other services that they need.
“We have 65 children on the programme with all those of school age quickly settling into Oxford schools. These families have experienced loss of homes, family members and livelihoods due to the conflict in their countries of origin. We welcome them to Oxford as a place they can rebuild their lives and are grateful to the contributions they make to the diversity and vibrancy of our communities and city.”
(Former) Councillor Marie Tidball, Board Member for Supporting Local Communities (2019)
