The Pickwell Foundation welcomes the expansion of resettlement routes and calls for a system built on rights, fairness and safety for all
The Pickwell Foundation welcomes the Government's renewed commitment to the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), with around a quarter of new referrals expected to go to Afghan women and girls and Palestinians fleeing war and persecution. UKRS has remained open, but referrals have been low. This commitment matters only if it translates into real numbers of people reaching safety.
We also welcome confirmation that organisations can apply to become sponsors under the new community sponsorship route from October, and that everyone arriving through these routes will be on a five-year path to settlement.
For people living through conflict, persecution and displacement, safe and legal routes offer a vital pathway to safety, stability and the chance to rebuild their lives. Resettlement should offer permanent safety without asking anyone to give up the hope, or the right, of one day returning home if it becomes safe to do so.
Communities across the UK have consistently shown their commitment to helping people seeking safety rebuild their lives. Community Sponsorship, Homes for Ukraine and the Communities for Afghans scheme have shown what communities can do: providing practical support, building social connections, and helping people towards independence through English, education and work. The Government now has the chance to build on those lessons and put communities at the heart of resettlement.
Refugees should also be involved in designing the routes meant to support them. People with lived experience know what works.
Named Sponsorship - What we know so far….
In November 2025, the UK Government announced its intention to introduce a new Named Sponsorship framework. Under this model, community groups, employers and universities will be able to identify, or "name," specific individuals with a protection need whom they wish to support to come to the UK, subject to Government eligibility, security and other requirements. Sponsors will then be expected to provide appropriate accommodation, financial and integration support, and a warm welcome as newcomers begin their lives in the UK. Planning continues, with launch expected this Autumn.
The Pickwell Foundation welcomes this development. For more than a decade we have supported refugee resettlement programmes, worked alongside communities welcoming newcomers, and advocated for more sustainable, community-led pathways to protection in the UK. We have also helped shape this policy as members of the Community Sponsorship Alliance - our Trustee and Director, Susannah Baker MBE, has chaired the Alliance for several years, with Pickwell acting as Secretariat.
Building the Future of Named Community Sponsorship: Lessons from Canada and a Call to Action for the UK
Our operations Manager Steph Molligoda joined the Community Sponsorship Alliance sit down with Nadine Nasir of the Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) Association of Canada alongside Hannah Gregory of Pathways International.
Canada has been running what we now call named sponsorship for decades. Their model of private sponsorship is mature, resilient and—crucially—proven. With 143 Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) organisations, Canada has welcomed tens of thousands of people through sponsorship pathways. And it has done so under governments of every political persuasion, continuing to function even when the wider system has come under pressure.