What is refugee resettlement?

Resettlement is a tool meant to support refugees whose fundamental human rights are at risk in the country where they have sought protection. It enables them to settle in a third country that has agreed to admit them and grant them permanent residence status. 

In 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) helped resettle 84,963 refugees, mainly coming from Afghanistan, Congo, Syria, Eritrea, Venezuela, Myanmar, Somalia, Iraq, Guatemala, and Sudan. The U.S. and Canada received a majority of refugees, with the U.S. admitting 46,499 refugees and Canada 22,968.

‍What are the goals of refugee resettlement?

Aside from meeting the specific needs of refugees and helping protect their fundamental human rights, resettlement ends their displacement by providing a long-term solution.

‍What is the process of resettlement?

Each year, UNHCR maps global resettlement needs and advocates on behalf of refugees with states and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). UNHCR helps identify individuals that meet resettlement criteria, screens them and refers suitable cases to resettlement state authorities. States screen individuals and make admissibility decisions. Individuals receive pre-departure orientation, and upon arriving to their new homes, receive integration support. UNHCR, resettlement states, and NGOs meet each year to go over best practices and new strategies to ensure they are meeting the needs of refugees.

‍What is the origin of refugee resettlement?

Resettlement as a practice began in the aftermath of World War II to address the problems faced by refugees and displaced persons. Initially under the oversight of the International Refugee Organization (IRO), resettlement helped find new homes for more than 1 million people in the 1940s. Since being established in 1950, UNHCR has a mandate to provide international protection to refugees, helping them find permanent and durable solutions.

‍How has resettlement worked in the United States?

In 1948, the U.S. enacted the first refugee legislation, helping resettle more than 200,000 European migrants. Since then, it has welcomed refugees from different parts of the world. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) was established in 1980 to help meet the needs of refugees, unaccompanied minors, and other migrants. ORR provides time-limited cash and medical assistance, case management services, English classes, and job training. Since 2000, the U.S. has admitted nearly 1.4 million refugees. Admissions by fiscal year is shown below:

Figure 1.1: U.S. annual refugee admissions and resettlement ceilings between FY 2000 and 2025  (Source: Migration Policy Institute)

‍What is the current state of the refugee resettlement program in the United States?

In his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) “until such time as the further entry into the U.S. of refugees aligns with the interests of the U.S.”​​ The Trump Administration later signed an executive order encouraging the resettlement in the U.S. of white South Africans known as Afrikaners. Afrikaners are the descendants of French and Dutch settlers and were responsible for establishing the state of apartheid in South Africa, which ensured Afrikaners’ dominant position in South African society. The Trump administration has claimed that Afrikaners are being actively discriminated against by land expropriation and affirmative action laws. On May 12, 2025, the U.S. welcomed a group of 59 Afrikaners under the resettlement program.