UK unveils support to tackle displacement and illegal migration
At second Global Refugee Forum, the UK announces 15 pledges to support refugees and the countries that host them.
- UK marks second Global Refugee Forum with new support to improve the outcomes for refugees and others forced to flee their homes
- new partnerships with World Bank on education and with United Nations on gender-based violence
- continued lifesaving support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, and internally displaced people in Somalia
An ambitious new package of support for refugees and the countries that host them is being launched by the UK at the United Nations Global Refugee Forum taking place in Geneva (13 December).
Whether in response to conflict or climate change, the number of people forced to flee their homes has risen by over 35 million since the first Global Refugee Forum in 2019. As a result, the need to tackle the root causes of displacement has never been greater. In doing so, not only will the UK be able to provide vital support to refugees and the countries that host them but also reduce the number of individuals attempting dangerous onward travel in a bid to enter the UK illegally.
To continue to drive forward the work initiated at the first Global Refugee Forum, as well as the commitments set out in the recently-published international development white paper, the UK is announcing 15 pledges to help people forced to flee their home, as well as the communities that host them.
As part of this, the UK is pledging greater support to ensure all forcibly displaced children have access to safe and high-quality education. This will give refugee children access to better jobs and a safer future, addressing a major driver of conflict and instability. To do this, the UK will provide £4 million to support partners working on refugee education. This includes a new partnership with the World Bank to give lower income host countries the financing and technical support they need to integrate refugee children in their national education systems.
A further £2 million will be made available to support the UN’s work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence faced by women and girls impacted by crises. Funding will support grassroots women’s rights organisations to prevent violence by empowering women and girls most at risk. It will also improve access to services for those affected and strengthen the implementation of laws and policies by ensuring institutions are effective, transparent and accountable.
International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said:
The number of people forced to leave their homes due to conflict or crisis rose from 89.3 million in 2021 to 108.4 million in 2022, and is estimated to further rise to over 110 million this year. These numbers are unprecedented.
Today’s package will provide host countries with the support they need to help whole communities to thrive while also reducing the risk of exploitation. Together, we can ensure that refugees can live in safety and dignity with the education and skills they need to return home when conditions allow them to do so.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said:
The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who need it through our safe and legal routes. Since 2015, we have offered a humanitarian route to the UK to over half a million men, women and children seeking safety, as well as family members of refugees.
We continue to play a leading role in this area, providing routes to safety for hundreds of thousands of people, including from Hong Kong, Ukraine and Afghanistan, and continuing to provide support so that refugees can successfully integrate into local communities across the UK.
The UK will also reaffirm its commitment to supporting communities most impacted by crises. £7 million worth of humanitarian aid will provide essential food and cooking fuel for Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh as well as support for affected communities in Myanmar to access clean water, food, and shelter. The UK will also continue to advocate for the rights of the Rohingya and to hold the perpetrators of the atrocities against them to account.
Over 500,000 internally displaced people in Somalia will also be supported through a new £25 million programme. This will work with local communities and government to find durable solutions to their displacement in the form of stronger land tenure, better housing and access to basic services, and more climate resilient livelihoods. More than 3.8 million people in Somalia have been forced to leave their homes, many due to climatic shocks such as drought and flooding.
Other pledges announced today include a commitment to ending statelessness and a vow to work with the global community to drive greater action on conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.
Today’s commitments follow pledges made by the UK at the first Global Refugee Forum in 2019. As part of this, the UK pledged to create a new UK Resettlement Scheme, to boost the number of places on the Community Sponsorship Scheme, and to support refugees already in the UK through the Integrated Communities Action Plan.
All of these commitments have now been fulfilled, with the UK welcoming hundreds of thousands of people in need of international protection to its shores in the last 4 years. The UK has also launched a new and enhanced support package to help individuals to settle into life in the country. Refugees and displaced individuals arriving into the UK through safe and legal routes will continue to be supported through these programmes.
Background
The UK was a founding signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. In 2018, the UK was closely involved in establishing the Global Compact of Refugees, and the Global Refugee Forum (GRF). Held every 4 years, the GRF is the world’s largest gathering on refugees.
The UK’s 15 pledges include:
-
£4 million pledge to support inclusive refugee education: better educated children living through displacement and crises
-
Contribution of £2 million new funding to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women’s special window on crises
-
Support for meaningful refugee participation in policy-making and high-level meetings affecting displaced populations
-
Contribution to Ending Statelessness, multi-stakeholder pledge
-
Working with the global community to drive greater action on conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding
-
Action to help build the resilience of refugee, internally displaced, and host communities to climate and associated impacts
-
Support refugees to access cleaner sources of energy that meet their basic needs, reduces deforestation, and improves security for women and girls
-
Support for inclusion of forcibly displaced and stateless persons in national statistical systems
-
Continued lifesaving support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and for the humanitarian response in Myanmar
-
A continued effort to provide safe and legal routes to the UK as well as support for those that arrive through these routes
-
Continued resettlement of refugees through community sponsorship
-
Continued provision of work routes for skilled displaced people
-
Continued support around the integration of refugees in the United Kingdom
-
Improving refugee self-reliance by supporting refugees with recognition of their professional qualifications in the UK
-
Support from the British Council to meet the language needs of refugees and displaced people
Media enquiries
Email [email protected]
Telephone 020 7008 3100
Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.