About Community Sponsorship
What is Community Sponsorship
Learn about the UK's refugee sponsorship schemes
Learn about the UK's refugee sponsorship schemes
Communities across the UK have a proud history of providing sanctuary to those fleeing conflict and persecution in other countries. Since 2016, Community sponsorship schemes have empowered local people to help refugees to find safe homes and rebuild their lives in communities across the UK.
From 2027, communities, universities and employers will be able to identify specific people or families who need protection and who they would like to welcome to the UK (“named sponsorship”).
Click below to find out more about the different schemes.
In November 2025, the Home Secretary announced that "Named Sponsorship" will become the primary route to resettle refugees to the UK.
This scheme is currently in development, and likely to launch in late 2026/early 2027. Details of the scheme have not yet been released.
What we know so far
Communities, universities and employers will be able to identify specific people or families who need protection and who they would like to welcome to the UK.
The framework is intended to support the arrival of thousands of refugees each year over time, and allow communities, universities and employers to directly welcome and integrate refugees in the UK. It builds on lessons from the UK’s existing sponsorship programmes and international models, particularly Canada’s decades-long private sponsorship programme.
Unlike existing sponsorship schemes where refugees are selected and matched by the Government and the UNHCR, the new framework will allow sponsors to identify (“name”) the individuals they wish to support - subject to eligibility, security and other requirements.
The UK will introduced three routes under this scheme:
- Named Sponsorship: For community groups to identify refugees that they intend to sponsor
- Refugee Study Route: For university sponsors to offer the opportunity for refugees to study, working with specialist Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations to identify suitable students
- Refugee Work Route: For employers to act as sponsors and offer refugees jobs, working with specialist VCS organisations to identify suitable refugees
Citizens UK is currently working alongside partners and the Home Office to design this scheme, and to build the capacity of civil society organisations to participate when the scheme opens.
Launched in 2016, the original Community Sponsorship scheme has allowed community groups to resettle vulnerable refugees and support them to rebuild their lives.
Any committed group of people can form a "Community Sponsorship Group" to provide support. Groups must find suitable accommodation, raise £9,000, develop a support plan, and get consent from their local authority. Upon approval from the Home Office, the group will be matched with a refugee family, meet them at the airport, and bring them to their new home.
Refugees have been identified by the UNHCR as vulnerable and in need of resettlement. Although the scheme began in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, it has since expanded to include support for refugees from a much broader range of countries.
Unfortunately, Citizens UK is no longer able to provide support to Community Sponsorship groups. However, IRC provide training and support. Join an information session here:
https://www.rescue.org/uk/community-sponsorship-training
Contact IRC at CommunitySponsorshipUK@rescue.org .
Read government guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-full-community-sponsorship/community-sponsorship-guidance-for-prospective-sponsors
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK launched the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which drew on the success of Community Sponsorship scheme.
The scheme allows people to host Ukrainian nationals and their family members in their home. Hosts provide accommodation for a minimum of 6 months.
In response, Citizens UK launched “Communities for Ukraine” in partnership with Ukrainian Sponsorship Pathway UK (USPUK) as a Government-recognised provider. Through the generosity of hosts, community organisations and Resettlement Partners across the UK, the programme helped over a thousand Ukrainians find safety, homes and work.
Overall, the Homes for Ukraine scheme has ultimately enabled over 270,000 people to find safety in the UK.
Citizens UK is no longer running a matching service. However, you can still apply to be a host with USPUK: https://www.uspuk.org/become-a-host
Read the government guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme
In 2021, following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the government evacuated 15,000 people from Afghanistan through Operation Pitting.
Several years on, hundreds of Afghans and their families remain in temporary accommodation, and many more still needed evacuation. In response, Citizens UK, the Community Sponsorship Alliance and government partners worked together to develop the Communities for Afghans scheme.
The programme enables community groups to secure housing and provide practical support to Afghan families rebuilding their lives in the UK. Citizens UK piloted the first phase of the programme, helping demonstrate how communities can play a central role in refugee integration. From 2023 – 2025, 146 people were supported across 29 communities.
In contrast to other schemes, there is no requirement for Community Sponsors to fundraise - costs are covered by the programme.
Citizens UK is no longer taking on new groups. However, please contact the following organisations to participate: