Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to resume the resettlement scheme for refugees.
It is not currently possible to undertake resettlement activity due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are working on detailed plans to recommence resettlement arrivals as soon as it is safe and operationally viable to do so.
The resumption of refugee resettlement arrivals, including community sponsorship, remains dependent on a number of factors including: the lifting of restrictions imposed by the governments of those countries and in the UK; the ability of our international partners to operate; the reopening of the UK’s visa application centres; local authority and central government capacity in light of COVID-19; and recovery of the asylum system from the impact of COVID-19.
We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in regular dialogue with our international and domestic stakeholders.