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

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?

What is resettlement?

UNHCR pursues 3 durable solutions:voluntary

repatriation, local integration

and resettlement

Protection tool element of

solidarity sharing

Iridimi camp/Chad © Zalmai

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

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

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.

Who is eligible?

UNHCR identifies refugees according to

Resettlement Submission Categories:

Legal and Physical Protection NeedsSurvivors of Violence and TortureMedical NeedsWomen and Girls at RiskFamily ReunificationChildren and Adolescents at RiskLack of foreseeable alternative durable solutions

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

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

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

Submissions/ departures

What does the EU do?

UNHCR Resettlement to EU Member States and to All Other Resettlement Countries 2006-2010

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Pers

ons

EU Member States All Others

European resettlement: momentum since 2008

Nov 2008: EU decided to resettle (up to) 10,000 refugees from Iraq

Al Tanf. © UNHCR/B. Auger

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

Joint EU Resettlement Programme

Not a programme (yet)

Joint EU Resettlement Programme

Framework for cooperation

Voluntary + incremental approach

Cooperation facilitated by EASO

Funding under the European Refugee Fund: geographic/ specific vulnerable refugees

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

Thank you

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.

UNHCR / H. Davies © 2007