Multistakeholder Pledge: Supporting Refugee Family Reunification

Background

Indicative data suggests that family reunification visas comprise more 60% of all first-time permits issued for refugee complementary pathways, numbering more than 1.2 million in OECD countries in the eleven-year period 2010 to 2021 (Joint OECD-UNHCR Safe Pathways Dashboard). This, despite gaps in support provision and the disjointed nature of existing services to help refugees through the often long and complex procedures.

Recognizing the enormous potential of family reunification to offer protection and solutions to many separated refugee families, the Global Family Reunification Network (FRUN) is mobilizing a multistakeholder umbrella pledge to establish coordinated family reunification support networks. In doing so, we will build on existing pledges from the 2019 Global Refugee Forum, while also securing new commitments from a wide range of actors.

Pledge description

This pledge aims to build support networks of partners to provide direct case support to families along the continuum of the family reunification process, and to establish sustainable models to resource and coordinate this work through direct engagement of all relevant categories of service providers, including States, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Additionally, the pledge and resulting coalition will aim to ensure engagement of refugees through the active participation of Refugee-Led Organisations (RLOs) in the design and implementation of the pledge itself.

This multidisciplinary pledging effort will identify a small number of initial countries (countries of departure and destination for family reunification) where partners are already well-positioned to pilot models to deliver direct services, including information provision, identification and referral mechanisms, case management, legal assistance and reception and integration support.

In these contexts, pledging partners will commit to providing, a service, resource, or policy change to facilitate improved refugee access to family reunification. In addition, pledging partners will be expected to cooperate with each other within a coordinated ecosystem.

Concurrent to commitments made under this pledge, the FRUN will continue to advocate with States, including those who have joined this pledge and those who have not, for shifts in relevant policies and practices with a view to lessening the support needs of all refugee families.

Leadership

• Global Family Reunification Network (FRUN)

Members

• RefugePoint
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)
• International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
• UNHCR (in a coordination role)

Contact details

Global Family Reunification Network, UNHCR

Calendar

• 17 May 2023: Pledge introduction announcement at GRF Formal Prep Meeting
• May-September 2023: Identification of pilot countries and participating partners
• September-December 2023: Pledge development