Skip to main content

Refugees: Afghanistan

Question for Home Office

UIN 26733, tabled on 28 June 2022

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department used to determine the cap of 1,500 places available in the first year under Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; if she will expand that number in the event that expressions of interest from people eligible for that pathway exceeds it following the deadline for expressions of interest on 15 August 2022; and if she will make a statement.

Answered on

12 July 2022

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.

Under pathway three of the ACRS, in the first year, the government will consider only eligible at-risk British Council and Gardaworld contractors and Chevening alumni for resettlement. The capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited and difficult decisions have to be made on who will be prioritised for resettlement.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will consider Expressions of Interest (EoI) in the order that they are received. These will be prioritised depending on:

- The role performed (for GardaWorld contractors); or

- The role performed and the project worked on (for British Council contractors); or

- Exceptionally compelling circumstances.

Further information on Expressions of Interest can be found at:

https://forms.digital.fcdo.gov.uk/afghanistan-20220620/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme-acrs-pathway-3

Answered by

Home Office