Multi-stakeholder Pledge: Supporting Refugee Family Reunification

Overview

• Overarching goal: To ensure that every refugee can exercise their right to family unity and attain family reunification. Helping at least 1 million refugees reunite with their families by 2030.
• Leadership: Government of Brazil, Government of Portugal, RefugePoint, Cultuur in Harmonie, DLA Piper and the OECD, supported by the Global Family Reunification Network Advisory Group (FRUN AG).
• Pledge Pillars: Law and Policy; Support and Facilitation; Data and Evidence.
• Link to GCR: Objective 3 – Expansion of Third Country Solutions.

Key Statistics

• 37 pledges currently registered from 47 pledging entities. This compares with 8 pledges from 8 entities at the GRF 2019.
   

  
• 26 pledges are contributing to Pillar I (Law and Policy, including commitments to legislative adjustments, litigation and advocacy); 32 pledges to Pillar II (Support and Facilitation), and 2 pledges to Pillar III (Data and Evidence).
• By region: 10 pledges are global or multi-regional, 18 in Europe, 4 in the Americas, 3 in Asia-Pacific, 3 in East Africa, and 1 in West Africa.
• Where quantifiable, pledges cumulatively committed to support over 500,000 persons.

Highlighted Pledges

• Pledges by State entities committed to:
  • Enhancing access to birth registration for newborn refugees (Uganda);
  • Extending the deadline for applications (Lithuania);
  • Improving family reunification mechanisms/procedures (Brazil, Spain and Uruguay);
  • Promoting streamlined procedures as a crucial dimension of integration (Portugal);
  • Supporting family reunification integration services (Wales and Scotland);
  • Promoting actions aimed at ensuring family reunification (Forum of Conares of Mercosur and Associated Countries)
• The European Commission pledged to conduct a study on family reunification looking at national legislation and practices. The EUAA plans to establish a small-scale pilot at the Resettlement Support Facility (RSF) in Istanbul to implement family reunification.
• RefugePoint pledged to support at least 5 civil society organisations (including refugee-led organisations) in host countries, plus continued coordination and outreach activities.
• Cultuur in Harmonie pledged to inform, empower and train community organizations to become refugee family reunification service providers for families in receiving countries.
• DLA Piper pledged 1,500 pro bono hours to family reunification through direct assistance, capacity building, outreach and engagement and litigation.
• The Shapiro Foundation pledged to support pledge implementation through financing and donor engagement;
• Iberia Airlines, pledged to work with UNHCR Spain to facilitate free transfer of refugees and their families to Spain, including for family reunification.

Matching

• There was one pre-matched pledge submitted by the Refugee Council of Australia on behalf of a group of 11 civil society actors.
• A number of civil society entities, most notably RLOs, highlighted the need for funds and/or help with fundraising. These need to be matched with others offering this support.
• A number of pledges offered capacity building activities that need to be mapped to the needs of local actors.

Pledge Outcomes

• For the first time, family reunification has secured State leadership.
• The pledge mobilized diverse stakeholders, including those from countries of asylum and destination.
• Civil society was the largest pledging group, with strong representation from RLOs and diaspora groups in Europe and East and West Africa, demonstrating the localization priorities of the pledge.
• Based on pledges received, by 2027 it is expected that at least 500,000 refugees will have benefitted from pledged activities.

Next Steps And Follow-up Arrangements

The Pledge Leadership and FRUN AG agreed on the following workplan:

• Quarterly thematic roundtables within each pledge pillar to follow up on pledge implementation, led by the respective pillar co-leads.
• Biannual pledge leadership and FRUN AG meetings to explore synergies, review the global landscape and identify gaps and opportunities, including possible pilot locations.
• Annual report on pledge implementation and opportunities to advance the objectives of the pledge, authored by the FRUN AG.
• Linkages with other multi-stakeholder pledges (e.g., Refugee Travel Documents, Community Sponsorship, Economic Inclusion and Social Protection, Child Rights Initiative and Route-Based Approach, Legal Community) will be explored to develop synergies and maximize impact.