Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to announce the proposed work and study visa routes for refugees; and what assessment they have made of the role such a route could play in providing safe and legal pathways to the UK for refugees who are currently unable to access existing visa routes.

In the Restoring Order and Control statement, the Home Secretary announced the development of new safe and legal routes to enable communities, universities and employers to identify refugees to sponsor. These routes offer an alternative to dangerous journeys for refugees genuinely fleeing war and persecution.

As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors in the autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The refugee work route is expected to open next year.

Work is underway to deliver the new routes, and the Government will set out further details in due course.