Refugee resettlement in the EU : the capacity to do it better and to do it more

Abstract

Know Reset was an EU-wide research project that aimed to analyse how resettlement is currently conducted in the European Union, and in what ways it can be improved. The purpose of this report is to make the case for the increased use of resettlement by European countries on two levels: firstly, through the establishment of new national resettlement programmes in different countries and the expansion of national programmes where they already exist; secondly, to continue common efforts at national and EU level for a harmonized European resettlement programme, the future of which will be negotiated in the context of the EU financial perspectives for the period 2014-2020. The report is illustrated with examples from various Member States. Drawing from the collated country profiles, the findings illustrate capacity for resettlement in four areas: funding; the different actors involved; political will; and the methods used. The paper looks at each of these areas and starts by assessing the capacity of EU Member States to commit or not to resettlement; to expand their efforts (more resettlement places); and to conduct more effective (better quality) resettlement. This makes up the first section. Secondly, the future of resettlement across the European Union is explored. Finally, we formulate recommendations to improve the quality of national resettlement and to promote a better resettlement policy in Europe.