Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Scheme resettlement programme for Syrian refugees will affect the acceptance of and support for refugees from (1) Syria, and (2) other countries, whose applications are not within the programme.

Asylum applications received from Syrian nationals who have not been brought to the UK as recognised refugees under the scheme will be processed in the normal manner. If they are found to have a genuine fear of persecution they will be granted asylum in the UK.

The UK will also deal with asylum applications from nationals of other countries in the normal way and the VPR scheme will not affect acceptance or support of those who are recognised as refugees here.

The VPR scheme, furthermore, does not impact on the Gateway or Mandate refugee schemes and the UK will continue to run these schemes together.