What is resettlement and what is the EU’s role?

1. What is resettlement and
what is the EU’s role?
Integration Cities
9 March 2012 Amsterdam
Johannes van Gemund
Resettlement Policy Officer
UNHCR Bureau for Europe, Brussels

2. 5 Questions about
resettlement
1. What is resettlement?
2. Who are resettled?
3. How many people need to be resettled?
4. What does the EU do in resettlement?
5. What can the EU do more?

3. What is resettlement?
 UNHCR pursues 3
durable solutions:
voluntary
repatriation,
local integration
and
resettlement
 Protection tool
 element of
solidarity sharing
Iridimi camp/Chad © Zalmai

4. Strategic use of Resettlement
“The planned use of
resettlement in a manner
that maximizes the
benefits, directly or
indirectly, other than
those received by the
refugee being resettled.
Those benefits may
accrue to other
refugees, the hosting
state, other states or the
international protection
regime in general.”
Lukole camp Tanzania © E. Wiinblad

5. Who are resettled?
• Less than 1 percent of all refugees are referred (by
UNHCR) to resettlement countries for
resettlement.
• The resettlement countries have the final say if
they resettle refugees and whom they accept.
Lukole camp Tanzania © E. Wiinblad

6. Who is eligible?
Individuals who are eligible for resettlement
are:
(i) recognized as refugees under UNHCR's
mandate;
and
(ii) deemed eligible according to UNHCR`s
resettlement submission categories as
put down the UNHCR Resettlement
Handbook.

7. Who is eligible?
UNHCR identifies refugees according to
Resettlement Submission Categories:
Legal and Physical Protection Needs
Survivors of Violence and Torture
Medical Needs
Women and Girls at Risk
Family Reunification
Children and Adolescents at Risk
Lack of foreseeable alternative durable solutions

8. How are refugees selected?
UNHCR:
• Resettlement interview
• Resettlement referral form
submitted to States
States:
• States decide on refugee situations/ nationalities
• Decisions based on interviews in selection missions or
dossier submissions exclusively
• Recognition rate is over 90% Al Tanf © UNHCR/B. Diab

9. Global resettlement needs
780,000 refugees have
been identified as in
need by offices around
the world in the coming
3-5 years.
For 2012: 172,000 refugees
will be prioritized
Somali camp in Kenya © UNHCR/E.
Hockstein

10. Global resettlement needs
Main asylum countries 2011:
Syria – 23,500, Kenya- 20,500, Nepal – 18,500,
Malaysia – 15,000, Thailand – 12,300, Turkey –
17,000
Main countries of origin 2011:
Afghanistan – 274,383, Somalia – 150,355,
Myanmar – 101,150, Iraq – 68,366, Sudan – 61,996

11. Submissions/ departures

12. What does the EU do?
UNHCR Resettlement to EU Member States and to All
Other Resettlement Countries 2006-2010
100000
80000
Persons
60000
40000
20000
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
EU Member States All Others

13. European resettlement:
momentum since 2008
Al Tanf. © UNHCR/B. Auger
Nov 2008: EU decided to resettle (up to)
10,000 refugees from Iraq

14. European Resettlement:
momentum since 2008
Resettlement countries:
Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom, France,
Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic,, Portugal,
Ireland
New resettlement countries since 2008:
Czech Republic, Romania, Spain and Germany, ad
hoc resettlement: Belgium, Luxemourg
New resettlement programmes announced:
Bulgaria and Hungary
The Joint EU Resettlement Programme

15. Joint EU Resettlement Programme
Not a programme (yet)

16. Joint EU Resettlement Programme
 Framework for cooperation
 Voluntary + incremental approach
 Cooperation facilitated by EASO
 Funding under the European Refugee Fund:
geographic/ specific vulnerable refugees

17. What does UNHCR expect from
the Europe in resettlement?
More resettlement places:
A bigger role in offering resettlement as a
form of protection, complementary to access
to fair and effective asylum systems for
asylum seekers coming to the Europe
If the EU Member States cooperate in an EU
Resettlement Programme, they can use
resettlement more strategically, contributing
to comprehensive solutions for refugee
situations

18. Thank you
UNHCR / H. Davies © 2007
An Oromo family, who came to the UK in 2006 as refugees from
Ethiopia under the UK resettlement programme, visit the seaside in
Brighton where they have been resettled.