A refugee is someone who has escaped their home country because they are in serious danger of human rights abuses and persecution. The threats to their safety and life were so severe that they had no choice but to leave and find safety elsewhere. Their government could not or would not protect them. Refugees are entitled to international protection.
Cornwall Council has a legal duty to support refugees with:
- wrap-around and move-on support for individuals and families
- minimum of eight hours per week teaching of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- welcome payments and accommodation support.
We support both Ukrainian and Afghan refugees with support including:
- registering children with local schools
- accessing Health and Care support services
- giving advice and referrals to mental health services and to specialist services
- accessing local Jobcentre Plus services and explaining what their role is
- integrating support with voluntary and community organisations
- cultural capability training and other bespoke training for people working with refugees
- open dialogue with schools and a dedicated Education worker. This helps refugees to integrate into primary and secondary education.
“I work with people with extraordinary stories who have made incredible journeys and who are now making a life in Cornwall. We need to step back, listen and really take on board the life experiences of the individual whose life has been torn apart and who has overcome massive challenge to make it to safety.” – Bertie, Resettlement social worker
Supporting Ukrainian refugees
Here in Cornwall
Over 400 households in Cornwall have so far opened their homes to provide a place of sanctuary for over 1000 Ukrainians,. We are always looking for more hosts.
You can find out more about hosting on our Help for Ukraine pages or get in touch with the team on ResettlementService@cornwall.gov.uk
We also provide help and support to Ukrainians looking to rent in the private sector. Find out more on our Housing for Ukrainians page.
The background
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war was described by the UN as the fastest growing crisis and Europe’s largest refugee need since World War II.
In the first week of the invasion, the UN reported over a million refugees had fled Ukraine and an ongoing refugee crisis began in Europe.
By June 2022, nearly 7.9 million refugees were recorded to have fled Ukraine across Europe. An estimated 8 million people have been displaced within Ukraine itself and 3.5 million people are so far reported to have lost their homes.
The UK response
The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched by the Government on 14 March 2022. The scheme enables a sponsor in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family to stay with them in their home or in a separate property.
Sponsors provide a home or a spare room rent-free for a minimum of six months and receive a ‘thank you’ payment from the Government. These payments are facilitated by the Council. Those arriving via this scheme could originally stay in the UK for up to three years.
The government’s Ukraine Permission Extension scheme opened on 4 February 2025. It allows Ukrainian nationals to stay in the UK for an additional 18 months. This means Ukrainian refugees already resettled via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme are now entitled to a maximum visa period of 4 years and 6 months.
Any new arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme will only be eligible for an 18-month visa.
We still need new sponsors to provide safe homes in Cornwall.
Find more information about sponsorship on the government website
View our support information in our information area
Supporting Afghan refugees
Here in Cornwall
The UK Government has provided specific funding for Cornwall Council to purchase houses for resettling Ukrainian and Afghan refugees. After these houses have been used for this purpose, they will be added to Cornwall’s social housing stock to help local residents in need. These are properties we would not have been able to purchase without government funding.
Since 2020 the Government has paid for 42 houses in Cornwall for refugees through the Local Authority Housing Fund. (LAHF). Funds were received in two grants known as LAHF and LAHF 2.
- Cornwall Council Cabinet approved the Strategic Housing Team's first application for LAHF in February 2023, and were awarded funding of £3,630,000.
- Cornwall Council Cabinet approved the Strategic Housing Team's second application for LAHF 2 in November 2023, and were awarded funding of £2,640,000.
The total funding received under the two LAHF schemes is £6,270,000. LAHF 2 also includes provision of Temporary Accommodation to help tackle Cornwall's housing crisis.
The background
After the withdrawal from Afghanistan of British and US armed forces and the Taliban’s ascent to power in the summer of 2021, the number of forcibly displaced Afghans rose steeply. The UN estimates that from 1 January to 20 October 2021, 677,000 people were newly displaced inside Afghanistan.
As part of the international response to this crisis, the UK government announced programmes to evacuate and resettle Afghan refugees in the UK.
Operation Pitting was a British military operation to evacuate British Nationals and eligible Afghans. It was the largest British evacuation since the Second Word War and the largest airlift since the Berlin Blockade of 1948-9.
The UK response
The UK has two key schemes for Afghan resettlement: the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
ARAP supports those who served alongside UK armed forces in Afghanistan. It offers relocation or assistance to individuals at risk due to their work. This includes close family members. Three years of support are available, including casework and English language classes.
ACRS aims to resettle up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghans. It prioritises people who helped UK efforts as well as those at risk, such as women, children, and minority groups. It also includes eligible British nationals evacuated during Operation Pitting. The scheme focuses on individuals identified through referral pathways. It provides three years of support, including casework and English classes.
Both schemes emphasise the UK’s commitment to helping vulnerable Afghans rebuild their lives.
Supporting unaccompanied children
Children and young people who have been separated from their parents or carers are cared for by the Council within Children’s Social Care.
The Resettlement Service works with Together for Families and Education to ensure a joint approach for when young people move into adult services.
Hong Kong Nationals Scheme
The UK Government opened an immigration route for some Hong Kong residents on 31 January 2021. This allows British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders from Hong Kong and their eligible dependents to come to the UK to:
- live
- study
- and work
on a pathway to citizenship.
This reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people from Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK. These people chose to take up British National Overseas status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. Applicants can apply to stay in the UK for either 2.5 years or 5 years.
If new migrants can:
- integrate with the settled community
- speak English
- use services
- and be economically active
this significantly reduces pressures on local services. Including housing where people are at risk of destitution. It also minimises negative impacts on community cohesion.
Find out more about the Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) Welcome Programme.