Applications opened on 29 October for charities to become lead sponsors under the UK's new safe and legal routes, the Home Office announced. The department said the applications mark a major step towards the first arrivals through the Named Community Sponsorship and Refugee Study routes next autumn. A separate refugee work route will open for applications in spring 2027.

Lead sponsors, accredited and overseen by the Home Office, will support local groups such as community groups, churches and universities in welcoming refugees. To qualify, organisations must be a registered UK charity or non-profit, have a good reputation, and have suitable safeguards and resources in place. Sponsors will help set up and support sponsor groups, verify arrangements and provide ongoing oversight, assisting refugees with accommodation, education, employment and local services.

The routes are modelled on Canada's private sponsorship programme. The Home Office said they will be capped and controlled, with arrivals based on community capacity to sponsor refugees. Numbers through the new routes and the existing UK Resettlement Scheme will initially be in the hundreds before growing into the low thousands, the department said. Border Security and Asylum Minister Anna Turley said charities, community groups and universities would be at the heart of the effort. She and Migration and Citizenship Minister White planned to meet charities and not-for-profits over the coming weeks.