UK Resettlement Scheme Reopens to New Refugee Referrals

What happened

On 28 September 2026 the Home Office announced that the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) had reopened to new referrals with immediate effect. The government describes it as a safe and legal route for refugees and expects the first arrivals before the end of 2026.

The announcement also set dates for three new sponsorship routes first promised in the November 2025 Restoring Order and Control statement.

Who is affected

You cannot apply to UKRS yourself. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) identify refugees and refer them, and the scheme is delivered with local councils. The Home Office expects about a quarter of referrals to be Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees. The announcement does not set out full eligibility criteria.

The new sponsorship routes involve UK organisations:

• Community sponsorship: charities and non-profits can apply to sponsor from October 2026, with first arrivals expected in autumn 2027.
• Student sponsorship: universities can host refugee students. Applications open in October 2026, with first arrivals expected in autumn 2027.
• Work sponsorship: companies can host refugees. Applications open in spring 2027, with arrivals later that year.

Sponsors will provide housing, integration support and help to find work.

What it means for your move

People who arrive through these routes will be on a five-year path to settlement. That is shorter than the treatment the government plans for people who arrive irregularly. Since 2 March 2026, most new asylum claims lodged in the UK lead to 30-month “core protection” grants rather than five years’ leave (see our core protection guide).

Numbers will be small at first. The Home Office expects arrivals across UKRS and the three sponsorship routes to be “in the hundreds” at first, growing to the low thousands over time. An annual cap will be set, but no figure has been published.

What to do now

• If you are a refugee abroad, register with UNHCR where you live. Referrals come through UNHCR and IRAP, not through direct applications.
• Be wary of anyone who offers to sell you a place on a resettlement scheme. There is no fee-paid application route.
• UK charities, universities and employers interested in sponsorship should watch gov.uk for the application guidance due to open in October 2026 (community and student) and spring 2027 (work).
• Refugee family reunion is a separate route, suspended in September 2025. The announcement does not mention it.

What happens next

The first UKRS arrivals are expected before the end of 2026, and the first community and student sponsorship arrivals in autumn 2027. The Immigration and Asylum Bill, now at committee stage, would put a single “core protection” status into law. For the wider picture, see our ILR guide, the UK hub and the updates tracker.