This launch event and online Policy Dialogue was organised in the framework of the European Policy Centre (EPC) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) project on Future-proofing EU resettlement policies. It began with a brief presentation of their new “Future-proofing resettlement policies: Next steps for resettlement and community sponsorship in the EU”, followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A session.

Panellists reflected on how to further support and scale up resettlement and community sponsorship programmes in Europe, including ways to incentivise member states to boost and uphold pledges. They agreed that the EU has a duty to promote and provide safe, predictable pathways for people in need of protection, especially in the light of recent developments, such as the displacement crisis in Afghanistan. In addition, despite ongoing travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU managed to fulfil 65% of pledges for 2020-21 and is looking to increase numbers going forward. Speakers also highlighted the added value of community sponsorship programmes to communities, particularly when it comes to complementing resettlement efforts and boosting integration outcomes, although there was a need to further improve government-civil society coordination in order to establish more robust programmes.

In the Q&A session, speakers were asked about how to diversify pathways to protection, including through education and work-based pathways, and how to ensure funding opportunities reach community sponsorship programmes. The contentious use of resettlement as a way to express solidarity with host countries and to achieve EU migration management objectives was also discussed.