Derbyshire councils, health colleagues, voluntary and community groups and other agencies have been involved in refugee resettlement in Derbyshire for almost 5 years, via the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and the UK Resettlement Scheme.
The Derbyshire partnership was formed in September 2016 in response to a government appeal to support refugees displaced by the war in Syria. Over the next 4 years more than 100 refugees in 26 family groups were resettled across the county as part of the VPRS. This scheme was replaced by the UK Resettlement scheme in February 2021. The new UK Resettlement scheme is wider than the VPRS and aims to resettle vulnerable refugee families from other countries in addition to Syria.
Across the UK, around 20,000 refugees were resettled under the VPRS, and it's hoped that a further 5,000 will be resettled each year under the new UK Resettlement scheme. We work alongside the district and borough councils, in conjunction with other partnership agencies, to offer homes to these vulnerable families and provide support to help families build a new life as part of their new communities.
Recent events have called upon all local authorities to offer support to those who have fled the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. This includes Afghan nationals who have given their services to Her Majesty’s Government in Afghanistan. We've committed to providing co-ordination of resettlement support, with the support of the district and borough councils. The detail of these plans is currently being finalised.
Funding and support for refugees
Funding for refugee resettlement comes from a range of central government funding streams. This is in addition to funding that is usually received by local government to deliver their mainstream services.
Refugees will be granted a five-year refugee status visa. This will allow them to apply for jobs, claim welfare benefits and access health and education services they may be entitled to in the same way as other Derbyshire residents.
Refugees are supported by a small team based with us, who deal with the administration of the scheme. Due to the vulnerable nature and the complex range of issues refugees will face, we've also commissioned a specialist support service. They will work with the refugees on a day-to-day basis to help them settle and integrate into their new community. The cost of these posts and the support service will be met by government funding.
You can find out how many refugees have been resettled in each local authority area by accessing information provided by the Home Office's asylum and resettlement datasets.
Volunteering to help refugees
Many charities and organisations are helping to provide help and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers. These include:
Several charities and organisations are working with refugees across the UK. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has more information about volunteering opportunities in your area.
You could also contact the Refugee Council, the British Red Cross or Refugee Action to find out more about volunteering to support asylum seekers and refugees already in the UK.
You can also offer help via the British Red Cross information line tel: 0344 871 1111.
Offering a property
If you’re a landlord who would like to offer accommodation please contact your housing authority which is your local district or borough council.