Refugee resettlement in Bath & North East Somerset

We work with the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to help displaced communities come to Bath and North East Somerset on resettlement schemes and other humanitarian routes.

Those arriving are supported by our Resettlement team. The various schemes are outlined on this page, along with other relevant information.

UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) 

The Home Office set up the UKRS to help the most vulnerable refugee families who have been assessed for resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The UK Resettlement scheme replaced previous similar schemes, including the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and the Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme.

To date, those nominated for resettlement in the UK under the above schemes have been mainly from the Middle East and North Africa but the UKRS is a global scheme and could support refugees from other places in the world.

Since 2015 we have resettled 19 families under the above schemes in B&NES. The Home Office provides funding over a 5 year period to local authorities for each person who arrives into the area under this scheme. We use this funding to provide intensive resettlement and integration support – covering areas such as health, finance, English language and employment.

Education funding is also paid if there are young people aged between 3 and 18 within the family. This is passed onto education settings to help them to support the education of young people and meet any additional costs.

You can find more information about the UKRS on the government web pages here.

Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) 

The ARP replaced and consolidated previous Afghan resettlement schemes – including the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme (which enabled local staff who worked for the UK government in Afghanistan to resettle in UK with their families) and the Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme (for those who supported the UK efforts in Afghanistan and were vulnerable because they had campaigned on issues such as democracy or women's rights).

Since 2021 in B&NES, we have resettled 15 families under the above Afghan schemes. The Home Office provides funding over a 3 year period to local authorities for each person who arrives into the area under the Afghan schemes. We use this funding to provide intensive resettlement and integration support – covering areas such as health, finance, English language and employment.

Education funding is also paid if there are young people aged between 3 and 18 within the family. This is passed onto education settings to help them to support the education of young people and meet any additional costs.

You can find more information on the Afghan Resettlement Programme on the government web pages here.

Homes for Ukraine scheme 

The UK Government set up this sponsorship scheme, enabling those fleeing the war in Ukraine to come to the UK and live within a UK resident's home. This is not a resettlement scheme, as people arriving are only being given temporary leave to remain in the UK (as it is hoped they will be able to return to Ukraine when the war ends).

Since 2022 over 400 Ukrainian guests have arrived in B&NES, to live with over 250 host residents of B&NES. The MHCLG provides funding to local authorities for each person who arrives into the area under this scheme. We use this funding to provide advice and support to Ukrainian arrivals and their hosts – helping them to access English language training and find employment.

You can find more information on the Homes For Ukraine scheme on the UK government web pages here, and on our local information pages here.

Local organisations supporting refugees 

Our Resettlement team works in partnership with Bath Welcomes Refugees to support and resettle families in B&NES.

Asylum Seekers in B&NES 

Since 2022, local authorities have been mandated by the Home Office to support the Asylum Dispersal Scheme. This aims to ensure that all local authorities across the UK share the responsibility for housing asylum seekers who are waiting for a decision on their case.

In the South West, the Home Office sub-contracts Clearsprings Ready Homes to procure and manage properties. The aim is to reduce the reliance on hotel use into more cost effective, dispersal accommodation sites. As a result, the Home Office are using a variety of accommodation sites to accommodate people seeking asylum.

In B&NES, there is currently one asylum dispersal property, offering temporary accommodation to a family awaiting their asylum decision. The accommodation has a maximum 3 person occupancy. Those staying in asylum dispersal accommodation receive support from Migrant Help. You can find details of other support available on the government web page here.

There are currently no hotels housing asylum seekers in B&NES.

If you need support and advice

If you are a refugee in need of general support, you can email resettlement@bathnes.gov.uk. Our Resettlement team is only able to provide resettlement support to support people on specific government schemes, but we may be able to make suggestions of where you can get support. You can also contact Bath Welcomes Refugees.

Ways to get involved

Click on the sections below to find out more information on how you can get involved in supporting refugees locally.

Volunteering

If you are interested in supporting refugees you can contact local organisation Bath Welcomes Refugees to find out about the range of volunteering options there are.

Donations

The government advises the best way to help refugees is to donate money to humanitarian organisations or charities who are already working with refugees.

Please donate clothes, bedding, books, toys and other items to charity shops such as British Red Cross, Save the Children and Oxfam. The money raised from sales will be directed towards helping refugees.

If you have items of furniture, such as a sofa or bed frame, that you would like to donate, please contact Bath Welcomes Refugees who sometimes put out a call for items of second hand furniture for new arrivals.

Offering accommodation

Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, if you are able to offer a spare room for a minimum of 6 months, you could become a Homes For Ukraine host. Homes For Ukraine hosts are paid between £350 and £500 per month.

Please contact H4U@bathnes.gov.uk to find out more.

Alternatively, if you have accommodation that you would like to rent to a refugee family, please contact resettlement@bathnes.gov.uk as there is always a need for self-contained rental property.

How to contact us

If you have any other questions, queries or concerns, please email us on resettlement@bathnes.gov.uk