Community Sponsorship

That this House pays tribute to the hard work of over 100 community sponsorship groups who have welcomed more than 500 refugees to the UK; notes that community sponsorship has played an integral role in resettling Syrian refugees since 2016; further notes that research has found that community sponsorship creates a warmer welcome for refugees and contributes to more inclusive communities than other routes; recognises that communities across the country stand ready to support the resettlement of Afghan refugees and welcomes the Government’s commitment to extend the Community Sponsorship scheme to include Afghan refugees; notes extensive delays in the processing of community sponsorship applications; and calls on the Government to provide the funding and resources to speed up the administration of that scheme.