Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many referrals the UNHCR has made to the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme to date.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6 January, providing up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.

Eligible individuals can be referred onto the ACRS in one of three pathways as set out in the policy statement of 13 September 2021:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement

In light of the success of our evacuation efforts, we expect to exceed our initial aim of resettling 5,000 through the ACRS in the first year. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation and who are eligible for the ACRS.

Under Pathway 2, we are working at pace to receive referrals shortly of vulnerable refugees in need of protection from UNHCR, so that individuals affected by the events in Afghanistan can come to the UK and rebuild their lives. Those referred by UNHCR will be assessed for resettlement by UNHCR using their established process.

We have been working across Government and with external partners to design the scheme, amidst an evolving picture on the ground. It has been important to design the scheme carefully to ensure it prioritises those at risk, and to ensure the support and services required by those being resettled are in place to help them integrate into society and rebuild their lives.