To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of resettlement programmes for refugees from Iraq and Syria in countries such as Canada and Australia; and whether any lessons can be learned from these programmes in relation to refugees who have experienced religious persecution.
Answered on
24 October 2017
The UK works closely with its international resettlement partners, including Australia and Canada to further international understanding and expertise on resettlement programming. Through international forums such as the Syria Core Group, facilitated by UNHCR, and the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement, the UK works alongside other resettlement partners to address a multitude of policy and procedural matters with the aim of improving the way we resettle refugees globally.
The seven vulnerability criteria used by the UNHCR are Legal and or Physical Protection Needs; Survivors of Torture and/or Violence; Medical Needs; Women and Girls at Risk; Family Reunification; Children and Adolescents at Risk and Lack of Foreseeable Alternative Durable Solutions. Individuals are not specifically identified for resettlement based on their religion or ethnicity but members of minority communities may well meet one of the other vulnerability criteria set out by UNHCR.