Information about the resettlement of refugees in Bristol.
Who are sanctuary seekers
“Sanctuary seekers” typically means asylum seekers and refugees, but includes anyone who has experienced forced migration, whatever their circumstances or the route they have taken.
Sanctuary seekers are not a homogenous group. Each person brings their own background, culture, experience, challenges, skills, and aspirations. Their needs are complex, as many are undergoing a major life transition and adapting to a completely new environment.
Information about Sanctuary seekers:
- Sanctuary seekers are 5x more likely to have mental health needs
- 61% will experience serious mental distress during their lifetime, with many requiring support for depression, PTSD, torture, FGM, and sexual and gender-based violence
- Sanctuary seekers are likely to be more susceptible to vaccine preventable communicable diseases, such as TB, measles and Hepatitis B
- 4% of immigrants to the UK come from humanitarian programmes.
- When comparing asylum applications per head of population the UK ranks 17th across European nations.
- Asylum seekers receive £8.86 per week if placed in hotels.
What does it mean to be a City of Sanctuary
Bristol has been a place of sanctuary for hundreds of years, a place which has welcomed people from all over the world to find safety and rebuild lives. Our city has a long history of welcoming communities in their hour of need.
For generations, some previous national policies, such as the ‘hostile environment’, have created division and made life harder for those seeking safety whilst creating division in existing communities.
This politics of division is not what we stand for, and we will not tolerate the pitting of one community against another for any purpose.
As a City of Sanctuary, we'll continue to support sanctuary seekers to build their lives in Bristol.
Visit Bristol City of Sanctuary to learn more about Bristol City of Sanctuary.
Who have we provided sanctuary for
We have worked with national government to provide sanctuary to those fleeing conflict in Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
We have put in place government funded programmes to help people find a home, enter education, live full lives and integrate with existing communities.
Bristol’s Sanctuary Seekers, as of August 2025:
- 1,327 asylum seekers housed in Bristol - 972 people housed in three city hotels
- 56% of hotel residents are families and a quarter of these are children
- 35 languages spoken by hotel residents.
- We've over 650 Ukrainian guests and over 900 have been supported in Bristol since 2022
- We've supported around 1000 refugees through 3 national schemes since 2016, 486 through Afghan and ARAP, 403 through Vulnerable Persons and Children’s Schemes and 111 via UK Resettlement
Where does funding come from for sanctuary seekers
Supporting sanctuary seekers does not come at the expense of existing communities.
The resettlement of refugees is organised through different central government funded schemes and is overseen by the Home Office. The services for asylum seekers in the hotels are provided by private contractors such as Clearsprings Ready Homes.
The funding for housing sanctuary seekers does not come from council tax. The amount of money each local authority gets in grants is based on the number of asylum seekers living in a local authority area on 30 March each year. This funding is ring-fenced and must be used by local authorities to support sanctuary seekers.
To ensure sanctuary seekers can integrate with existing communities, it is essential to give them support so they can find jobs, learn about life and culture in the UK and access housing and health services.
We are responsible for fulfilling the legal and statutory obligations set by national government. These are things we must do by law.
Bristol Resettlement Team
We provide support to refugee families assessed by the United Nations as particularly vulnerable and therefore eligible for formal resettlement.
Families have allocated Support Workers who:
- help them to readjust, orientate and understand UK systems and services
- give practical support with day-to-day living
- help them work towards independence by the end of the support period
Supported families live in private sector housing provided by landlords working in partnership with the team.
If you're a landlord we can help you to rent your property to refugees in Bristol.
How to help refugees resettling in Bristol
If you're a landlord or know of any landlords that would be willing to work in partnership with the council and rent their homes to refugee families, email us at refugee.resettlement.team@bristol.gov.uk
If you're making an offer of support for refugees, email bristolrefugeeteam@bristol.gov.uk. Please note that this inbox can get busy, and may not always get a direct reply. We're very grateful for all offers of support. All offers are noted and reviewed, and you'll be contacted as and when your support is required.
To offer donations, contact AidBoxCommunity or see the AidBoxCommunity Facebook page. They can tell you which items they need.
To volunteer, visit Help refugees who have come to the UK on GOV.UK.
Donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal. The Disaster emergency committee has combined 15 top UK aid charities to launch this appeal and every pound donated will be matched by the government up to £25 million. Donations will be used to provide food, water, and medication.
Schemes we work with
The resettlement of refugees is organised through different government funded schemes and overseen by the Home Office.
We work with the Home Office to resettle refugees in Bristol through the following schemes:
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
In preparation for the withdrawal of UK troops in Afghanistan, the Home Office established the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). ARAP offers the opportunity for resettlement to locally employed staff and their families who worked for the UK government in Afghanistan.
Bristol has pledged to resettle 15 families per year under this scheme.
While Afghan families are awaiting resettlement in the UK with a local authority, the Home Office provides them with hotel accommodation. The Bristol Refugee Resettlement Team supports the Home Office with this.
Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is a new scheme launched by the Home Office for those who have helped the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for:
- democracy
- women's rights and freedom of speech
- the rule of law, such as judges, women's rights activists and journalists
- vulnerable people, such as women and girls at risk and minority groups at risk (including religious minorities and LGBTQ+ people)
UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)
The Home Office established the UKRS to identify the most vulnerable refugees who have been assessed for resettlement by UNHCR.
These vulnerable refugees are nominated for resettlement in the UK mainly from the Middle East and North Africa, but also from refugee camps in other areas.
This scheme replaces the:
- Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme 2016 to 2021, which resettled 20,000 people in the UK, 328 of whom were resettled in Bristol
- Resettlement of Vulnerable Children Scheme 2017 to 2021, which resettled 3,000 people in the UK, 106 of whom were resettled in Bristol
Bristol has pledged to resettle 15 families as part of the new UKRS. This means the Refugee Resettlement Team need to work with 15 landlords to identify private sector accommodation to house these 15 refugee families.
Responding to the crisis in Ukraine
Read what we're doing to respond to the crisis in Ukraine.
Homes for Ukraine
The homes for Ukraine scheme was launched on 14 March 2022. It provides a route for Ukrainian nationals forced the flee the war in Ukraine to come to the UK. The scheme allows individuals to sponsor named people from Ukraine and help them to find accommodation. Ukrainian guests can live and work in the UK for up to 3 years and access benefits, healthcare, employment, and other support.
No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) Partnership Working
Read the pdf NRPF Partnership Working Report(164 KB) .
No recourse to public funds (NRPF) applies to people who are ‘subject to immigration control’ and, as a result of this, have no entitlement to certain welfare benefits, homelessness assistance and an allocation of social housing through the council register.
This report reflects on how Bristol City Council has been working with partners to support those with No Recourse to Public Funds during the COVID pandemic. It shows how we can embed these practices in ongoing work to make Bristol a more inclusive city.
Support Don't Deport campaign
We're proud to support Homeless Link's Support Don't Deport campaign. Find out more at Support Don't Deport.