Charities can now apply to sponsor refugees – Restore Britain pledges to deport everyone who arrives under it

Charities can now apply to become sponsors on two new refugee routes, the Home Office announced on Thursday 29th October. The first refugees are not expected to arrive until autumn 2027.

Within hours, Rupert Lowe pledged that a Restore Britain Government would deport "every man, woman and child" who arrives under the scheme.

What the Home Office announced

The Home Office posted on X at 16:41 GMT:

"From today, charities can apply to sponsor refugees through new, capped Named Community Sponsorship and Refugee study safe and legal routes.

"Sponsors will provide accommodation, integration support and help finding work.

"First arrivals are expected in autumn 2027."

A Home Office news story on gov.uk, published the same day, says: "Applications open today (29 October) for charities to become lead sponsors under the UK’s new safe and legal routes."

It says the routes "are modelled on Canada’s long-running private sponsorship programme". Lead sponsors, "accredited and overseen by the Home Office", would support local groups, "such as community groups, churches and universities, to welcome refugees into their communities".

According to the Home Office, the routes "will be capped and controlled, with the number of arrivals based on community capacity to sponsor refugees". It says: "Arrivals through the new routes and the existing UK Resettlement Scheme will initially number in the hundreds but will then grow into the low thousands as levels of illegal migration fall."

It adds: "A separate refugee work route will open for applications in spring 2027."

The Border Security and Asylum Minister, Anna Turley, said: "Communities across the country will now be able to welcome refugees fleeing war and persecution – helping them put down roots and rebuild their lives."

Restore's pledge

Lowe quote-posted the Home Office announcement at 18:04 GMT:

"A Restore Britain Government will deport every man, woman and child who arrives under this scheme.

"It will be applied retrospectively."

At 18:18 GMT, the official Restore Britain account posted: "Any refugee arriving through Labour’s new legal routes, starting today, will be deported by a Restore Britain Government."

Restore has not yet set out how the pledge would be applied retrospectively.

The main points

- What the routes are: two new refugee routes, Named Community Sponsorship and Refugee Study. Charities and community groups sponsor refugees and provide accommodation, integration support and help finding work. The Home Office says they are modelled on Canada's private sponsorship programme.

- What opened today: applications from charities and non-profits to become "lead sponsors". Lead sponsors would set up and oversee local sponsor groups. No refugees arrive today.

- When arrivals start: the Home Office expects the first arrivals in autumn 2027.

- How many: the Home Office says arrivals through the new routes and the existing UK Resettlement Scheme "will initially number in the hundreds but will then grow into the low thousands as levels of illegal migration fall". It has not given an exact cap.

- The work route: the Home Office says a separate refugee work route will open for applications in spring 2027.

- What Restore pledges: Lowe says a Restore Britain Government would deport "every man, woman and child who arrives under this scheme", and that "it will be applied retrospectively".

Image: Roger W Haworth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons