UK home secretary to restart resettlement program prioritizing Palestinian refugees - report

The UK is set to restart a resettlement program prioritizing Palestinian refugees and Afghan women, as reported by The Guardian. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce the reopening at the Labour Party conference. The scheme, suspended for two years, will allocate about a quarter of places to Palestinians and Afghans and ease access to permanent settlement. Critics argue the number of eligible refugees is too small to deter Channel crossings. The program aims to show the immigration system operates fairly and supports the most vulnerable, though experts say the quota is insufficient.

The UK is restarting a resettlement program that will prioritize Palestinian refugees and Afghan women, the Guardian reported on Sunday. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce the reopening at the Labour Party conference on Monday. The scheme has been effectively suspended for the last two years, though never formally closed. Around a quarter of the refugees in the program will consist of Palestinians and Afghans. The program will also make it easier for refugees to receive permanent settlement rights in the UK. Mahmood is expected to say the changes show the immigration system operates fairly and supports the most vulnerable. However, immigration experts and refugee charities have said the number of eligible refugees is too small to deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel in small boats.