RESETTLEMENT
An Information Paper
UNITED NATIONS
HIGH COMMISSIONER
FOR REFUGIES
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I
Resettlement as a Permanent Solution
Since its establishment, UNHCR has considered resettlement as one of the three basic solutions to refugee problems. When repatriation to the country of origin or local settlement in the country of refuge is not possible, or desirable, for groups of refugees or individuals, then efforts are made to seek resettlement in third countries willing to admit them.
Numerically, resettlement has usually benefited a comparatively small percentage of the total number of refugees assisted by UNHCR, as emphasis was placed on assisting refugees who do not seek repatriation to settle locally in the country to which they fled, and only if this is not possible to endeavour to secure resettlement opportunities for them.
II.
The resettlement Process
The term "resettlement" is used to cover both the process of emigration from the country of temporary residence and that of integration in the new country of immigration. It comprises a wide range of activities requiring the close collaboration of governments, voluntary agencies and intergovernmental bodies.
In promoting and effecting the resettlement of refugees and displaced persons, UHCR activities begin with efforts to "open doors for refugee resettlement" and continue until the refugees have become fully-fledged members of their new community in the country of immigration. ment activities can be grouped as follows:
A.
Promotional activities
UNHCR shares its assessment of resettlement needs with countries of potential immigration, exploring ways in which admission criteria can be liberalized to permit acceptance of refugees who may not qualify under normal immigration regulations. Such an exchange of views is particu- larly important if countries of immigration are considering revision of their immigration acts and regulations or re-definition of their immi- gration policies, as it permits the authorities concerned to take note of refugee resettlement needs at an early stage and to reflect those needs in provisions in immigration bills and regulations that permit the admission of refugees on humanitarian as well as socio-economic grounds.
To ensure that refugees facing special problems such as the handi- capped and emergency cases are not excluded from admission into countries