Photo credit: Aljazeera
The UK has begun accepting applications from charities to lead a new refugee sponsorship program modelled on Canada’s private sponsorship system, with Kenya, Uganda and Egypt among seven countries where eligible refugees can initially be identified.
Business Insider Africa reports that the program will allow approved community groups, universities and employers to help refugees relocate to Britain through dedicated sponsorship routes, with the first arrivals expected in autumn 2027.
The UK Home Office announced on October 29 that charities can apply to become lead sponsors under its Named Community Sponsorship and Refugee Study routes. The program will offer eligible refugees a route to Britain through community support or higher education.
The program will initially operate in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Uganda and Kenya. It is designed to let approved community and university groups identify refugees they can support, while the Home Office retains responsibility for immigration decisions and security checks.
The government has established three routes: Named Community Sponsorship, Refugee Study and Refugee Work.
The UK says the new pathways draw on Canada’s long-running, private sponsorship model, which has allowed communities to help resettle refugees for decades. The routes are intended to complement existing government-led programs while giving charities, universities and employers a more direct role in refugee integration.
However, the program is not a general migration route for citizens of the seven countries. Applicants must be outside their country of nationality. They must have been present and registered with the relevant authorities or the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in one of the participating countries before October 1, 2026.
They must also qualify for refugee protection, meet route-specific conditions and pass identity and security checks.
