Priority Global Quota for Resettlement

The project in brief

Implemented by

Swedish Migration Agency

Country/region

Sweden / Global

Duration

Ongoing

Description

UNHCR has observed a greater need for more flexible and diverse resettlement quotas. These quotas are to be used globally as the current general trend tends to an inequitable distribution of resettlement quotas across the different regions. 

In response to these needs, Sweden has for many years devoted a part of its national refugee resettlement programme to UNHCR's Priority Global Quota with un-earmarked places. 

The Priority Global Quota offers places for refugees that are the most in need of resettlement worldwide. It has no geographical or time restriction and has, as a result, the ability to respond to any needs that may occur throughout the year. It focuses on emergencies and urgent cases but can also accommodate specific caseloads and individual cases which did not meet this criteria but for which needs may occur outside the regular planning cycle and focus of the programme. 

In 2019, Sweden allocated 600 of its 5 000 national quota places to UNHCR's programme.

Main activities of the Good Practice

The Priority Global Quota is, at its core, resettlement processing on file and this, on the basis of cases submitted by UNHCR from all around the world.

It is managed in close collaboration with UNHCR and the Swedish Migration Agency, with a continuous exchange on specific cases and caseloads.

Processing often takes place under urgent, and at times emergency, priority time frames for individual cases. This means that if the need arrises, cases can effectively be resettled within weeks or even days. For specific caseloads, longer time frames may apply, but processing is still generally accelerated.

Partners

• Swedish Migration Agency (SMA) 
• UNHCR

Challenges and how they were overcome

While a number of resettlement countries offer quotas for urgent and emergency cases similar to the Priority Global Quota, this is not yet a tool that resettlement States provide more generally.

In the absence of more States offering such quotas, there is sometimes, as a result, heightened pressure on States such as Sweden that provide a Priority Global Quota.

UNHCR is therefore continuously encouraging more countries to provide places that can be used as flexibly and where needs are greatest – without any geographical restrictions.

Results of the Good Practice 

Sweden’s Priority Global Quota and continued commitment to providing timely solutions for those refugees who are at heightened risk worldwide is a truly lifesaving engagement.

The Priority Global Quota continues to be a highly effective protection tool at UNHCR’s disposal, allowing to provide urgent protection and solutions for refugees in particularly precarious situations, including refugees with urgent protection needs and women and children at risk.