Archive · 28 Sep 2026
UK Reopens Refugee Routes Prioritising Afghans and Palestinians
The United Kingdom plans to reopen a way for some refugees to travel there safely and legally.
Afghan women and girls, Palestinians, and people with disabilities will be given priority.
Some refugees will also be reunited with their closest family members.
The government expects hundreds of people to use the scheme at first.
Two refugee organisations will help find people who qualify.
The government says the programme must be limited and that communities should be prepared to welcome newcomers.
Some experts say the scheme is too small to stop people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Others worry that the changes could put more pressure on public support and welfare services.
The United Kingdom is expected to immediately reopen a refugee resettlement scheme.
Afghan women and girls, Palestinians, and people with disabilities will receive priority.
The scheme is initially expected to admit hundreds of applicants through safe and legal routes.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Refugee Assistance Project will identify eligible refugees.
The government says arrivals must be capped and controlled, while critics argue the numbers will not deter small-boat crossings.
- Who
- The United Kingdom government, led on this issue by Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood, with eligibility assessments by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Refugee Assistance Project.
- What
- The government plans to reopen a refugee scheme and introduce or expand safe and legal routes, prioritising vulnerable groups.
- When
- The scheme is expected to reopen immediately; it stopped accepting new referrals in December 2024.
- Where
- The routes lead to the United Kingdom, with refugees selected internationally through the named organisations.
- Why
- The government says the policy will help people fleeing war and persecution while maintaining controlled numbers and meeting international obligations.
Compassion and Safe Passage
Control and Capacity
Purpose of the scheme
Compassion and Safe Passage
Supporters say the United Kingdom should remain compassionate, meet its international obligations, and provide safe routes for people fleeing war and persecution.
Control and Capacity
Critics argue that the scheme may be too limited to affect irregular migration, while the government says arrivals must remain capped and controlled.
Impact on communities and services
Compassion and Safe Passage
The government says a fair society can be more open and generous toward others when communities are prepared to welcome refugees.
Control and Capacity
The scheme is expected to face criticism because some priority applicants may depend on state welfare, and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has raised concerns that the changes alter existing expectations.
- Initial intake
- The scheme is initially expected to welcome hundreds of applicants.
- Priority groups
- Afghan women and girls, Palestinians, and people with disabilities.
- Family reunification
- Immediate family members can be reunited, but wider family members are excluded under tightened rules.
- Referral organisations
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Refugee Assistance Project will identify eligible refugees.
- Previous status
- The programme stopped accepting new referrals in December 2024.
- Government condition
- Shabana Mahmood said the process must be capped and controlled, with communities ready to welcome arrivals.
- Main criticism
- Immigration experts cited by The Guardian said the number eligible may be too low to deter small-boat asylum crossings.