Resettlement
Considering a family referral
Once approved as a sponsor, you will be sent personal information about a refugee family that you will potentially support. It is critical that you read this information carefully and assess whether your group can accommodate the needs of the family.
Experts by Experience: Ghazala and Nidal’s first 6 months
Families can be waiting for resettlement for many years, so it’s understandable to hear that Ghazala and Nidal could not believe it when they were told they were going to be resettled to the UK! They shared with us their time and experience of living in the UK, speaking on what their first 6 months…
Experts by Experience: Nour’s experience of life and education in the UK
We sat down to speak with Nour, a student who was resettled to the UK with his family. In our interview with him, Nour speaks on his experience of coming to the UK shortly before the first Covid-19 lockdown, the differences in schooling in the UK compared to the Middle East, and his future aspirations….
Experts by Experience: Rawasia and her experience of resettlement
Navigating resettlement as a teenager can be full of extremely difficult challenges, including losing friends, losing your education and losing your home. On top of this, you are contending with starting a new life in a host country you may not feel at home in, or feel wanted in. This has been Rawasia’s experience, one…
Experts by Experience: Resettlement as a single parent
Making the journey firstly from your home country to a host country, and then to another country via resettlement, is a hard undertaking for any family – and one that becomes even more difficult as a single parent. The reassurance there is in being able to turn to your partner in such a situation, and…
Experts by Experience: Zahir and Lena on settling into a rural community
Having now lived in the UK for over two years, Zahir and Lena sat down to talk with us about how their family have settled into a rural community, one which now feels like home. They spoke to us about their experience of leaving Syria, the hardship of rebuilding their lives in Jordan, and the…
Indefinite Leave to Remain: Changes to status for UKRS
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILtR) means that there is no time limit for how long you can remain in the UK. It means that you are entitled to access benefits, education, healthcare and other rights of UK Citizens. It is possible to apply for Citizenship after you have lived here for 5 years. More details…
Experts by Experience – a call for Experts!
We know that the true experts in community led welcome are those who have welcomed, and those who have been welcomed. For this reason, we’re looking to grow the work we do with refugees, who are Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is someone who has lived experience of the issues they’re discussing and…
Pre-Arrival Contact Guidance
The UK may be very different to the countries that refugee families arrive from, and so, as much as families are relieved and happy to hear they’re going to be resettled here, the idea can also be a little nerve-wracking too. By enabling families to make contact with the Community Sponsorship group prior to their…
Adopting an empowerment approach to ILtR applications
For families who arrive before winter 2021, they will have been given the right to live and work here for 5 years. Once the family members have been in the UK for 4 years and 11 months, they will need to submit an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILtR). The application process is carried out…
Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
On 6 January 2022, the UK Government announced that the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme had opened, having previously confirmed that Community Sponsorship groups were going to be able to resettle Afghans through the scheme and into their neighbourhoods. The UK Government will welcome up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region over the coming years. This includes over…
Arrival planning guidance
The day you’ve been planning for is getting very close! Here, we share what other groups have done or thought about during the arrival period. Managing the arrival of the family you will be supporting is usually one of the most exciting parts of your Community Sponsorship journey, as it marks the time when all…
Experts by Experience: Khadeja’s resettlement experience
One question that we’re often asked in Reset’s Community Sponsorship training sessions is: “What do refugees think their life in the UK will be like before they’re resettled?” We usually answer these questions with a range of anecdotes but with a strong reminder that refugees will have a breadth of opinions, worldviews and expectations of…
How groups can support families experiencing bullying
This resource has been produced for community sponsorship groups who may need to support refugee families who are experiencing bullying in school. It has been produced in collaboration with the Anti-Bullying Alliance who are a coalition of organisations and individuals that unite against bullying to create safer environments in which children and young people can…
Preparing a fact sheet for the family you will support
Once you’ve been allocated a family, and you and your Local Authority have accepted them, you will need to prepare a fact sheet that will be shared with the family your group will be welcoming. This is your opportunity to introduce yourselves, the support you are offering, and information about the area they will be living in. We’ve…
Receiving the personal data of refugees
As a Community Sponsor, you will receive personal data of the refugees that are allocated to your group. This will help you decide whether you can meet the needs of the family that is allocated to you. The information you will receive is extremely confidential and will contain the ages, genders, biographic information and medical…
Reset’s Introductory Guide for Refugees
Before arriving in the UK, resettled refugees receive cultural orientation training from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The family will also be given a book that explains life in the UK called the Welcome to the UK booklet; there are also similar booklets available in other languages. The training and the booklet explain what…
Welcome Pack
As part of your application form, you will be asked to prepare a Welcome Pack for the family. Below is a list of suggested documents you could include. You may wish to add, remove or amend the title of any of these documents – it’s really about what you as a group would like to…
Welcome to the UK booklet
Groups have found it useful to refer to this booklet and the information it contains to remind the family they are supporting about life in the UK. This is provided to refugees before they arrive in the UK, and should be provided in hard copy to your group. The booklet was created in 2018/9 by the Home…
Addressing misinformation about life in the UK
Moving to a new country without speaking the language, knowing the house you’ll move to and having only a vague idea of the support you’ll receive can be a terrifying prospect. It is not surprising that many refugees decide to seek information on what to expect in the UK wherever they can. Those who can,…