Countries offering safe admission and stay options through complementary pathways Metadata

Number of countries offering safe admission and stay options through complementary pathways to refugees hosted in other countries

Countries offering safe admission and stay options through complementary pathways

SafeAdmissionStayCountries

This indicator is defined as the number of countries that offer safe and legal admission and stay options through complementary pathways to refugees hosted in other countries of asylum. It comprises options for admissions through humanitarian, sponsorship, employment, and education pathways as defined below. The indicator does not include legal avenues for admissions through family reunification procedures in line with their international obligation.
 
Employment pathways, by which a refugee may enter or stay in another country through safe and regulated avenues for purposes of employment, with the right to either permanent or temporary residence. Candidates’ eligibility for programmes is assessed based on their professional qualifications and experience, as well as language skills.​​​Education pathways, by which a refugee may enter or stay in another country through safe and regulated avenues for purposes of higher education with safeguards, such as documentation and legal entry and stay arrangements for the duration of their studies/traineeship, and clear post-graduation options, which may include permanent residency or post graduate study or employment stay permits. Candidates’ eligibility for programmes is assessed based on their academic merit and language skills.​​​​​​Sponsorship pathways (often known as Private Sponsorship programmes) are programmes that allow individuals, groups of individuals, or organizations to directly engage in admission efforts by identifying, selecting, and supporting the entry and stay of nominated individuals in need of international protection.Humanitarian pathways, programmes which offer an admission opportunity to individuals in need of international protection through their identification and transfer from the country of asylum to a third country (different from their current country of asylum), based on protection and/or general humanitarian needs, and allow the beneficiaries to apply for asylum or a protection status upon arrival. These legal avenues or programmes often rely on humanitarian visas issued prior to departure. 

Complementary pathways for admission serve as an important expression of international solidarity and cooperation and as a contribution to more equitable responsibility-sharing, additional to, and separate from, resettlement. They must be designed and implemented in such a way that the rights of refugees and their international protection needs are safeguarded.

The indicator counts all the States offering at least one relevant admission programme – humanitarian, sponsorship, employment or education pathways – to refugees hosted in another country.

International definition and standards