In the EU context, resettlement programmes are voluntary programmes through which EU Member States provide international protection to refugees who are identified as eligible by UNHCR. Member States assess the resettlement needs and can transfer a refugee from a third country to their territory by granting a secure legal status and support for integration.lxv  At the heart of EU resettlement schemes lie the objectives to contribute to global resettlement efforts in line with jointly-agreed geographical priorities, manage migration based on predictable timelines, ensure common grounds for eligibility and carry out rigorous security checks. Since the introduction of the first European Resettlement Scheme in July 2015, the process has remained high on the policy agenda.

In 2019, efforts were channelled to establishing the Union Resettlement Framework as one of the top priorities (see Section 2.5). Under the European Commission’s recommendations in 2017, it was envisaged to resettle 50 000 migrants⁶⁹⁶ and Member States made progress towards this goal throughout the year. 

For instance, under the new scheme Germany resettled just over 7 900 refugees from various countries of origin (Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria and Turkey) out of the 10 200 committed for the year. Under the same scheme, France resettled a total of 9 965 refugees from Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Niger and Turkey, out of its target of 10 000 persons to be resettled in 2018 and 2019. In Belgium, about 1 120 refugees were resettled, representing more than one-half of the promised quota, while Italy resettled about 870 refugees from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Syria. 

7.14.1 National resettlement programmes

In 2019, EU+ countries continued to operate national resettlement programmes, to implement the EU resettlement scheme and make additional resettlement places available. For example, under Spain’s national resettlement programme, 825 Syrian nationals were resettled in Spain, representing more than 80 % of the national commitment for 2019. A new National Resettlement Plan was approved by the Spanish Council of Ministers in December 2019. The plan aims to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and 1 200 new places have been made available for 2020.⁶⁹⁷

The Norwegian authorities took over 3 000 favourable decisions on the resettlement of refugees from a variety of nationalities in 2019. More than 2 800 quota refugees arrived in Norway during the year. Moreover, Norway offered 93 additional places to refugees in vulnerable situations after being evacuated from Libya. National programmes were also operating in Sweden, resettling around 5 000 refugees from various countries of origin during 2019.

Building on the work already done since 2015, a new phase of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was announced by the Department of Justice and Equality in December 2019.⁶⁹⁸ This phase would provide a legal and safe passage to 2 900 refugees between 2020 and 2023, focusing on Syrians, particularly children, residing in Jordan and Lebanon. A pilot project in 2020 will resettle Eritrean refugees residing in Ethiopia.

Similarly, the Croatian government adopted a new decision in February 2019 on the resettlement of third country nationals and stateless persons who fulfil the conditions for international protection (HR LEG 02). Under the EU resettlement scheme, Croatia committed to settle up to 100 refugees over 2020-2021. By September 2019, Croatia had resettled 250 refugees, of which 98 Syrians had arrived in the country during 2019. Croatia pledged to accommodate another 100 refugees in 2020-2021.

While some countries adopted new decisions to increase the number of pledges, other countries needed to reduce or close their programmes. Due to the high number of disembarkations from North Africa in 2019, Malta cancelled the transfer of refugees who had already been selected and interviewed.

In Estonia, after resettling 7 of the 40 Syrians under its national commitment, the national resettlement programme was discontinued.

7.14.2 Selection missions and study visits

In cooperation with various stakeholders involved in resettlement, countries organise selection missions and study visits to third countries. For instance, at the beginning of 2019, the Croatian Ministry of the Interior carried out a selection mission in Turkey with the aim to resettle 100 refugees.
 
In June 2019, four government representatives took part in a visit to exchange best practices and experiences with Portugal, while Portugal undertook a selection mission in Turkey. Luxembourg also organised a selection mission to Niger in October 2019, through which 48 refugees were selected for resettlement in Luxembourg. By the end of the year, 35 had been transferred to the country, with the remainder postponed due to medical constraints but envisaged for 2020.⁶⁹⁹

7.14.3 Private sponsorship programmes 

In the broader context of global efforts to expand resettlement opportunities, some countries cooperate with private organisations, such as individuals, companies, NGOs or faith-based groups, to maximise available resettlement programmes. The involvement of these organisations in resettlement activities is focused on the arrival and integration of refugees. In addition, they could also take part in the identification and selection of refugees, such as in the Humanitarian Corridors programmes (see Section 7.14.4).

Pilot sponsorship projects were implemented in several countries during 2019. For example, the regional government of Pais Vasco in Spain, in coordination with the Secretary of State for Migration, implemented a community sponsorship programme in March 2019. Individuals, voluntary organisations and faith-based groups manage the programme, through which 29 refugees from Jordan have been resettled in the region.⁷⁰⁰ Refugees from Jordan are also resettled through a German sponsorship programme, NesT (Neustart im Team), which started operating in May 2019. The programme provides up to 500 places for selected refugees, and a total of 17 were resettled in 2019.

At the end of 2019, the Department of Justice and Equality of Ireland launched a Community Sponsorship programme⁷⁰¹ in cooperation with various organisations (such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, UNHCR, Irish Red Cross, NASC and Amnesty International) for interested citizens and community organisations to participate in supporting refugee families upon their arrival to Ireland, in particular with access to housing and state services. Since its launch, 12 Community Sponsorship Groups have been formed and 30 refugees from eight families have been assisted. In recognition of this initiative, Ireland received an award from the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GRSI)^lxvi in October 2019.⁷⁰²

To continue resettlement schemes which end in 2020 (see more in the United Kingdom Written Ministerial Statement, 2019),⁷⁰³ the United Kingdom announced a new global resettlement scheme⁷⁰⁴ which will consolidate the three largest national programmes (Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme and the Gateway protection programme). In the first year of the programme, United Kingdom aims to resettle 5 000 of the most vulnerable refugees. The programme will focus on unaccompanied minors, but it will have a broad geographical focus and will respond to wherever the need is greatest.

In addition, a new process for emergency resettlement will also be developed, allowing the United Kingdom to provide fast routes of protection during instances of heightened protection needs. The Community Sponsorship Scheme, which enables community groups to directly welcome and support refugees in the United Kingdom, will continue working; however, after the new scheme launches in 2020, refugees resettled by community sponsors will remain separate and in addition to the quota of the global resettlement scheme. The same will happen with the refugees resettled under the national Mandate Resettlement Scheme, which can be used for recognised refugees with close family members living in the United Kingdom. 

Humanitarian admission programmes are diverse, ranging from expedited temporary protection for a large number of vulnerable refugee groups to granting protection upon arrival similar to resettlement schemes but following a different procedure. The initial assessment in the country of first asylum does not include a full refugee status determination, and the beneficiaries of the programmes must apply for international protection once they arrive in the European Union.

During 2019, Member States continued to enhance their humanitarian admission programmes in cooperation with third parties. For example, the Humanitarian Corridors programme continued operating in France. The programme was established in March 2017 through a Memorandum of Understanding by the French Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and five organisations (the Community of Sant’ Egidio, the Protestant Federation of France, the Protestant Federation of Mutual Aid (FEP), the Episcopal Conference of France (CEF) and Secours Catholique – Caritas France).⁷⁰⁵  In 2019, 519 Syrians and Iraqis from Lebanon were identified and selected as beneficiaries of the project. By the end of the year, 420 of them were already settled in France where they were granted refugee status or subsidiary protection.

The humanitarian corridors has also operated in Italy since November 2017 through the Protocol Ethiopia-Italy and the Protocol Lebanon-Italy.^lxvii Through both mechanisms, Italy granted legal and safe entry to around 700 people in 2019. As recognition of the success of this programme, the Italian Humanitarian Corridors programme received the UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award in September 2019.⁷⁰⁶

Under a presidential commitment made to Nadia Murad, an Iraqi activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, France received 103 families from Iraq (466 members) from the ethno-religious minority group, Yazidis, mainly consisting of women and their children.⁷⁰⁷ In addition, France has granted ‘visas for asylum’ to Syrians since 2013 and Iraqis since 2014. In total, over the years, 6 612 Syrians and 7 588 Iraqis have arrived in France with a long-term visa for asylum.