In a significant commitment, EU Member States declared their collective pledge for 2024-2025 at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, offering 61,000 new places for resettlement and humanitarian admission for individuals in need of international protection.
Out of this total, 31,000 places are designated for resettlement, to be implemented in close collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), while the remaining 30,000 are allocated for humanitarian admission.
Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson emphasized the EU’s commitment to addressing global resettlement needs and highlighted the importance of contributing to safer and legal pathways for individuals seeking international protection.
The new pledges also encompass the EU’s dedication to promoting complementary pathways to the EU and community sponsorship schemes. Additionally, the EU will continue funding the Emergency Transit Mechanisms.
These safe and legal pathways not only provide durable solutions for individuals in need but also contribute to reducing irregular migration by offering them opportunities to build new lives in safety and dignity. Since 2015, over 119,000 vulnerable refugees have found protection in Europe through the EU’s resettlement schemes.
Commissioner Johansson organized three High-level resettlement forums with Member States, international partners, civil society organizations, UNHCR, and IOM since 2021 to encourage voluntary contributions.
In response to these efforts, Member States made the new pledges for resettlement and humanitarian admission for 2024-2025.
Resettlement and humanitarian admission, along with complementary pathways, remain a priority for the Commission.
The EU will continue working alongside Member States and international partners, such as the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, to collectively respond to global resettlement needs. The Commission has allocated €480 million over 2023-2025 to support Member States’ efforts in this regard.
In 2023 alone, the Commission has provided €246 million to Member States for persons admitted through resettlement and humanitarian admission in the past two years.
The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) will expand the Resettlement Support Facility in Istanbul and develop additional operational support structures for resettlement in other partner third countries.
The EUAA will also promote information sharing and best practices on resettlement, humanitarian admission, and complementary pathways to the EU.
