Skip to main content

4.16.3 National developments in resettlement programmes

Although there were not many operational activities in resettlement in 2020, there were some national developments in resettlement and humanitarian admissions during the year.  

After the formation of a new government in Ireland in June 2020, the management of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) and the Irish Humanitarian Admissions Programme (IHAP) was divided between two government departments. Responsibility for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme transferred from the Department of Justice to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in 2020, while the responsibility for the Irish Humanitarian Admission Programme remained with the Department of Justice.1257  

France also implemented an organisational change. The French Ministry of Interior approved1258  the decentralisation of the system, with the aim of enhancing the role of regional authorities in the integration of resettled refugees within the regional préfectures.1259

The Spanish Supreme Court ruled that refugees who are resettled in Spain through a government-approved programme, in cooperation with UNHCR, automatically become beneficiaries of refugee status (and not beneficiaries of subsidiary protection) and must be granted a residence permit. 

With the aim of aligning the national reporting system with data reported by UNCHR and Eurostat, the Dutch Minister of Migration also announced a new method to report on national quotas which are based on the arrival date of resettled refugees instead of the date of selection. A new multiannual resettlement policy framework for 2020-2023 was established in the Netherlands, including a commitment to resettling 2,000 refugees in 4 years (500 per year, as established in previous frameworks).1260 On top of the multiannual policy framework, the Netherlands also partakes in resettlement efforts in the framework of the EU’s migration cooperation with third countries. The quota is established either on a yearly basis or for the duration of an EU resettlement programme. Under the EU-Turkey Statement, the Netherlands has committed to resettling 1,000 Syrian refugees annually from Turkey. 

In the context of pre-departure orientation, and with the aim of facilitating the integration of resettled refugees into Swedish society, the Swedish Migration Agency developed guidance and tools on preparatory measures for refugees waiting to be resettled. This is part of a pilot project to be implemented by the IOM with assistance from UNHCR. The project was tested for the first time in Kampala, Uganda and several more are planned for 2021. The project will then be evaluated to form the basis of a regular 3-day pre-departure orientation programme and will be fully implemented in 2021. 

In addition to its contribution to the EU resettlement scheme, Germany decided on a national level to admit asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection from Greece. In 2020, a total of 1,519 persons were admitted from Greece to Germany: 1,485 asylum seekers and an additional 291 beneficiaries of international protection under the national humanitarian admission programme.

 

 

[1257] Disability, Equality, Human Rights, Integration and Reception (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020, October 16, 2020. http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2020/si/436/made/en/print
[1258] 
The framework for intervention remained the same, but the Circular Nouvelle organisation de l'accueil des réfugiés réinstallés à partir de l'année 2020, NOR INTV1929397J, was replaced by: Instruction relative aux orientations de la politique d'accueil des réfugiés réinstallés pour l'année 2021 [Instruction on the guidelines for the reception policy for resettled refugees for the year 2021], February 24, 2021. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/pdf/circ?id=45143
[1259]  European Web Site on Integration.
(2021, May 2.000Z). France: Orientations de la politique d’accueil des réfugiés réinstallés pour 2021 [France: Guidelines for the reception policy of resettked refugees for 2021]. https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/news/france-orientations-de-la-politique-daccueil-des-refugies-reinstalles-pour-2021?lang=en
[1260] Ministry of Justice and Security | Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid. (2020, May 26). Kamerbrief over Meerjarig beleidskader hervestiging 2020-2023 [Parliamentary brief on the Mulitannual policy framework on resettlement 2020-2023]. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2020/05/26/tk-meerjarig-beleidskader-hervestiging-2020-2023

........
 
 
........