Named Community Sponsorship Announced

Named Community Sponsorship Announced

In November 2025, the Home Secretary announced that Named Community Sponsorship would launch in the UK. The scheme, which will open in 2026/27, is is a game changer for refugee resettlement.

After years of campaigning by Citizens UK leaders and civil society partners, Shabana Mahmoud announced in November 2025 that the UK would introduce "Named Sponsorship" to the UK as a primary route for refugee resettlement.

Named Community Sponsorship marks a significant and exciting shift. For the first time, communities will be able to identify and name who they wish to welcome to the UK - people they already know, or feel connected to. This opens up powerful new possibilities: a school welcoming a pupil’s family; a church sponsoring persecuted Christians; a community group supporting LGBTQ+ individuals at risk; a sports club sponsoring displaced athletes; or a veteran sponsoring someone they served alongside.

Evidence from Canada and the UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme shows that when communities have greater agency over who they welcome, participation increases and outcomes improve.

The government are currently working alongside Citizens UK and civil society to co-design the scheme, and we expect that it will be open for applications by Autumn 2026.