Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Statement on Syrian Refugees and Counter-terrorism of 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 24, how many additional refugees the Government plans to take under the (a) Gateway programme and (b) Mandate programme over the duration of this Parliament.

The Gateway programme demonstrates the UK’s proud tradition of providing protection to refugees; and of the UK’s commitment to supporting UNHCR’s global effort to provide durable solutions to the plight of refugees. Since the first arrivals in March 2004, the UK has resettled over 6,300 refugees under the Gateway programme. The current commitment is to resettle 750 refugees per year, generally those in protracted situations, and has been fully met over the last two years. The Mandate Refugee Scheme is designed to resettle individual refugees from anywhere in the world who have been recognised as refugees by UNHCR, and judged by them to be in need of resettlement; and who have a close family member in the UK who is willing to accommodate them.

Therefore this scheme has no quota. There are no plans to expand either of these schemes over the term of this Parliament and we will continue with our commitment to offer protection to those in most need, along side those beneficiaries of the Vulnerable Person’s Relocation scheme.