Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to reopen the UK Resettlement Scheme to new referrals, with Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees expected to be among those prioritised in the initial phase.
The move will revive a legal route for vulnerable refugees to come to Britain after the scheme effectively stopped taking new referrals in late 2024.
The detailed prioritisation arrangements are being announced as part of the Government's wider plans for safe and legal routes and should be distinguished from the asylum system applying to people who arrive in the UK irregularly.
Afghan women and Palestinians among priority groups
Under the plans, around one in four of the initial arrivals are expected to be Afghan women and girls or Palestinian refugees.
People with disabilities and other applicants considered particularly vulnerable are also expected to receive priority.
Initial numbers are expected to be in the hundreds, with the potential for numbers to rise into the low thousands if irregular migration falls. Places will be subject to an annual cap.
Security checks before travel to Britain
People selected for resettlement will undergo checks before travelling to the UK.
These are expected to include identity, security, suitability and criminality checks as part of the process for determining whether an applicant can be admitted.
Selection for consideration under the scheme does not therefore mean automatic entry to Britain.
Legal route differs from irregular asylum claims
The resettlement scheme provides a controlled legal route for refugees selected overseas rather than a route for people who have already reached Britain irregularly.
Refugees admitted through resettlement are expected to have a five-year route towards permanent settlement.
That differs from arrangements introduced for new asylum claims from March 2026, under which refugee protection is subject to reviews at 30-month intervals.
Government had already promised new safe and legal routes
The Government previously confirmed that new safe and legal refugee routes would begin to be rolled out during the autumn.
The reopening of the UK Resettlement Scheme provides further detail on how that commitment is expected to operate and which vulnerable groups are likely to receive early priority.
Details being announced at Labour conference
The Afghan and Palestinian prioritisation has emerged as part of the Home Secretary's plans around Labour's conference.
The Government's earlier commitment to expand safe and legal routes is established policy, while the detailed composition, annual cap and operation of the reopened resettlement scheme remain subject to the final Home Office arrangements.
The confirmed policy direction is therefore the reopening of a controlled refugee resettlement route, with vulnerable groups prioritised and applicants subjected to security and suitability checks before travelling to the UK.