The United Kingdom has reopened its refugee resettlement scheme as part of efforts to provide safe and legal routes for vulnerable people fleeing war and persecution.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the reopening on Monday at the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool, saying the scheme would initially accept hundreds of refugees.

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) will operate in partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), which will identify and refer eligible refugees.

About one in four referrals is expected to involve Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees, according to the Home Office. The first arrivals are expected before the end of 2026.

Mahmood said the government remained committed to protecting people fleeing conflict and persecution but insisted that migration through legal routes must be controlled and capped.

“I know that the British people have not given up on their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations, and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution,” she said.

“But I also know this process must be capped and controlled, with communities ready and able to welcome those who come here.”

The reopening follows the closure of an Afghan resettlement route last year and forms part of wider changes to Britain’s immigration and asylum system.

The government is also introducing three community-based sponsorship routes under which charities, universities and employers will be able to sponsor refugees. Charities and non-profit organisations will begin applying to sponsor refugees in October, while applications for the work sponsorship route are expected to open in spring 2027.

The new routes will provide accommodation, integration support and assistance with finding employment. The government expects arrivals under the programmes to begin in the hundreds and eventually rise to the low thousands, with an annual cap to be imposed.

Refugees arriving through the resettlement routes will be placed on a five-year path to permanent settlement, while the government says the controlled legal routes are intended to encourage migration through established channels and reduce irregular journeys.

The announcement has drawn differing reactions from immigration and refugee organisations. While some experts have questioned whether the relatively small numbers would significantly affect irregular Channel crossings, refugee organisations have welcomed the creation of additional legal routes while calling for them to operate at greater scale.