ICMCEUROPE WelcometoEurope.pdf (5.89 MB)

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Chapter IV – The Resettlement Process: from Identification to Departure
Nonetheless, in large part due to
improved resettlement identification
processes, the number of refugees
identified by UNHCR as being in
need of resettlement has substantially
grown during the past decade.
However, the number of places
offered by resettlement countries
has not kept pace with this increase.
This introduces new challenges for
resettlement identification, including
prioritising the most needy and vulnerable
among those identified for
resettlement, establishing a sequence
for resettlement submissions and
advocating for the allocation of quotas
and resources for particular refugee
populations.
In protracted refugee situations, identifying
individual refugees in need of
resettlement can be an especially difficult
task. Many refugees have spent
years in camps as prima facie refugees
without any individual refugee status
determination taking place. Most
resettlement countries only accept
refugees that strictly fit the 1951
Convention definition of a refugee,
and not those who have fled generalised
violence such as that described
in the Organisation of African Unity
(OAU) Convention 10 and the Cartagena
Declaration in Latin America. 11 UNHCR
10 Organization of African Unity, 1969 Convention
Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems
in Africa
11 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees
advocates that governments are more
flexible in accepting for resettlement,
refugees who do not fall under the
1951 Convention.
2. RESETTLEMENT
SUBMISSION
2.1. Resettlement interview and
RRF
In cases where a resettlement needs
assessment recommends submitting
the case for resettlement (see section
1.2 of the present chapter), refugees
and their family members are invited
to a resettlement interview. This
interview is conducted by the UNHCR
Resettlement Officer/UNHCR staff
member designated as accountable
for resettlement, or staff from other
organisations 12 deployed to support
UNHCR operations. All family members
attend interviews, and all adults in the
family are interviewed individually.
The purpose of the resettlement
interview is to prepare a case for submission
to a resettlement country. The
interviewing staff member will:
• verify the composition of the family
unit, and determine which family
12 In 1998, in this context, UNHCR and ICMC established
the UNHCR-ICMC Resettlement Deployment
Scheme. Through this partnership, ICMC deploys
resettlement caseworkers to UNHCR field duty
offices to boost UNHCR capacity to identify and
refer refugees for resettlement. (for more details,
see Chapter II).