Resettlement and humanitarian admissions play a key role in offering legal and safe pathways to protection for people in need. Since the introduction of the first European Resettlement Scheme in July 2015, the process has remained high on the policy agenda. Due to COVID-19-related restrictions, the number of refugees effectively resettled in EU+ countries during 2020 was inevitably reduced. 

In line with the European Commission’s guidance on the implementation of relevant EU provisions in the area of asylum, return procedure and resettlement, EU+ countries adapted their modalities to ensure where possible the continuity of resettlement processes, for example by processing urgent cases on a dossier basis and undertaking remote interviews. By the end of 2020, most countries had not met their national quotas and had to request a transfer to the following year, expressing their commitment to offering safe pathways to protection.