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In response to growing displacement and resettlement needs globally, the UN refugee agency pleaded with states to expand and speed up resettlement processes and to increase opportunities for refugees to find long-term safety through other migration pathways. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi issued this appeal at the 2023 Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR), a global gathering of over 250 delegates held in Geneva from 26-28 June.
At ATCR, delegates heard that the number of refugees identified by UNHCR as being in urgent need of resettlement in 2024 had grown to 2.4 million – a 21% increase on the previous year’s projection. In 2022, fewer than 4% of refugees in need were able to access resettlement, with resettlement departures at 57,483 persons. This was less than 0.2% of the global refugee population at the end of 2022.
Noting that the expanded role of refugee representatives meant the consultations were no longer only tripartite (i.e., UNHCR, governments and NGOs), ATCR delegates voted to rename the annual gathering the ‘Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways’ (CRCP) in recognition of its expanded representation and focus.
In the ATCR closing session, the chairing role was handed from Ireland to Australia. RCOA will work with the Department of Home Affairs, the CRCP Refugee Advisory Group and UNHCR to plan a series of meetings, which will include a working group meeting in Australia in early 2024 focused on post-arrival settlement support and the main CRCP meeting in Geneva in June 2024.