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Asylum: Sponsorship

Asked by Chris PhilpConservativeHome OfficeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 26943

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria migrants applying under the new community sponsorship scheme will have to meet.

Answered by Home Office

As set out in the Restoring Order and Control statement, arrivals under the new named sponsorship route will be capped. The number of arrivals will be carefully managed to align with the UK’s capacity to support refugees, and the Home Office will retain overall control on numbers.

Refugee status will be determined in partnership with the UNHCR, and all refugees will be subject to appropriate security, identity, and background checks before arrival in the UK.

Safe and legal routes offer an alternative to dangerous journeys for refugees genuinely fleeing war and persecution. The launch of the named sponsorship route will not depend on illegal entry reaching zero.

The government will set out further details on the schemes, including eligibility requirements, in due course.

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