The UK Government launched the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) on 6 January 2022. The scheme will prioritise:

• those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law 
• vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+) 

Prioritisation and referral for resettlement will be in one of three ways: 

1. Vulnerable and at-risk individuals who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme will be the first to be resettled under the scheme. People who were notified by the UK government that they had been called forward or specifically authorised for evacuation, but were not able to board flights, will also be offered a place under the scheme if they subsequently come to the UK. 
2. Secondly, the government will work with the UNHCR to identify people most at risk and refer them for resettlement, replicating the approach the UK has taken in response to the conflict in Syria. 
3. Finally, the government will work with our international partners in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan (where safe passage can be arranged), and for those who have recently fled to countries in the region. This process will likely be affected by the ongoing situation within Afghanistan. 

The government has committed to welcome around 5,000 people in the first year and up to 20,000 over the coming years.  

At present, the Home Office are working on resettling the first prioritisation group mentioned above and as a result are not yet taking on any new applications. Once the Home Office have dealt with the first group, the Home Office will open up a means to registering new applications for the second and third group.

Therefore, although the scheme has gone live, it is not yet open to new applications since the Home Office are currently giving those who had been previously called forward or specifically authorised for evacuation, but were not able to board flights, first priority.  The policy on the scheme will be regularly updated however at this stage it is unclear when the Home Office will be accepting new applications.

SINCERE IMMIGRATION