Vulnerable families grateful for ‘genuine’ welcome, although integration is harder in rural areas – UNHCR study

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

More than 8,000 refugees have arrived in the United Kingdom under the Syrian refugee resettlement programme, with many expressing gratitude for the “genuine” welcome they had received in Britain.

A study by the UN refugee agency UNHCR found the resettlement scheme was functioning well, and access to life-saving medical treatment, education and safe accommodation was benefiting vulnerable people displaced by the Syrian conflict.

The Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme (VPRS) was launched in 2014 following huge public pressure to help those fleeing the fighting. The government committed to resettling 20,000 refugees under the programme. The UNHCR said that by the middle of 2017 over 8,000 people had arrived in the UK.

“The UK clearly has the capacity to resettle meaningful numbers of refugees,” said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR’s representative in London.



“Integration of refugees is complex. By and large it is working, and support for integration – from the public, local authorities and government – has been striking,” he said.

“We hope that with development, this model can help more refugees from Syria and elsewhere resettle here after 2020.”

Under the VPRS, refugees are referred by the UNHCR to the Home Office, which performs eligibility, medical and security checks. Vulnerable people accepted by the scheme are then referred to local authorities for resettlement.

In July 2017 the government expanded the programme to include those caught up in the Syrian conflict without Syrian nationality.

A total of 167 refugees were interviewed as part of the UNHCR report, more than half of whom were previously refugees in Lebanon, with the remainder travelling from Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Iraq.

As well as being “heartened” that their children could attend school and catch up on lost education, refugees interviewed in the study reported feeling safe in their homes and neighbourhoods, and were impressed by the efficiency of local and national government in the UK.



The report also found the VPRS had played a vital role in securing life-saving medical support for many resettled refugees. Two-thirds of people in the scheme were survivors of violence and torture or had specific medical needs.

Despite the scheme’s success, the report highlighted a number of areas for improvement, including in English language provision, and further support for housing and gaining employment.

Refugees were generally happy with housing and reported feeling secure, but said the stock of affordable rental property was limited and increasingly hard to find. Some of those posted to rural parts of the UK said they found integration harder as a result.

The UNHCR study found most children in the scheme were able to quickly acquire English skills and make friends, but gaps existed, with some schools unaware of extra funding for lessons.

The report added that while English classes were generally well attended, adult refugees admitted struggling with learning the language.

Only a minority of those interviewed in the study had found employment, as they had only been in the UK a short time. But interviewees expressed a desired to find work in the near future.

The UNHCR said existing work promotion schemes for refugees were limited and more national planning was required.

Vargas Llosa added: “Our hope is that, building on the success of the VPRS to date, the UK will commit to resettling 10,000 vulnerable refugees a year.”