Start with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Help website for the country where the person is living. Select the country to see locally available services and official contact methods, then contact a listed provider and ask about eligibility, interpretation, documents, appointments and referrals. The exact organizations, rules, languages, opening hours and capacity differ by country and community. Local settlement assistance is different from UNHCR-facilitated resettlement to another country.
Start with the country, not a generic internet search
Refugee assistance is organized nationally and locally. A housing program in one city may be restricted to government-assisted arrivals; a language class elsewhere may accept asylum seekers, recognized refugees, sponsors and family members under different rules. A search result can also be out of date, copied without permission or designed to collect personal information.
Use UNHCR’s country-specific Help site first. UNHCR’s global “Seeking help with UNHCR” page says each country site explains services available there and how to make contact. Depending on the country, the official channel may be a phone line, email, SMS, webchat, secure form or messaging application. If the country page is unavailable, look for the nearest UNHCR office through UNHCR’s official country information.
Before contacting anyone, write down the person’s current country, city, province or state and postal code. Also note immigration or protection status if it is safe to do so: asylum seeker, recognized refugee, resettled newcomer, temporary protection holder, stateless person, sponsor or family member. Providers use these details to determine which programs can accept a referral.
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Identify the immediate need
“Refugee support” is not one service. Begin with the problem that must be solved first, then search for that service in the person’s location.
- Immediate safety: danger, domestic violence, trafficking, detention or homelessness may require emergency or specialist services.
- Food and basic supplies: ask about food assistance, clothing, hygiene items and cash-support information.
- Housing: temporary accommodation, shelter referral, rental search, deposits, utilities and tenant orientation are often handled by different organizations.
- Health care: ask about clinics, health coverage enrollment, mental-health care, disability support and interpretation.
- School and childcare: families may need school enrollment, transportation, language assessment, childcare or supplies.
- Language and orientation: look for language training, interpretation, translation and classes explaining local systems.
- Employment: providers may offer job counseling, credential information, training, workplace language or referrals to employers.
- Legal and protection help: ask for referrals to qualified immigration, asylum, family-law or protection services. A settlement worker is not necessarily a lawyer.
- Family support: family tracing, reunification information, child protection and services for older or disabled relatives may require specialist referrals.
If several needs are urgent, say so when you first call. A provider may triage the case or refer you to a different organization rather than delivering every service itself.
A repeatable search and contact process
- Record the location and safe contact method. Use the city, administrative area and postal code. Ask whether it is safe to leave a voicemail, send a text or email, or communicate through an interpreter.
- Open the official country Help page. Select the country where the person is currently located, not a hoped-for destination. Read the contact and service information on that country page.
- Check the government directory. Search the national, provincial, state or municipal refugee and settlement office. In a directory with filters, try the city, region, address or postal code and terms such as “settlement,” “refugee,” “asylum,” “language,” “housing” or “employment.”
- Make a short list of plausible providers. Prefer organizations named or linked by UNHCR or a government directory. A refugee-led or established community organization can be useful, but verify its contact details independently through its own official page or through a government or UNHCR listing.
- Contact the provider listed on the official source. Use the published phone number, email, form, messaging channel or walk-in instructions. Do not rely on a forwarded number or a social-media account that cannot be verified.
- Ask the same practical questions every time. Confirm the service, eligibility, referral requirement, geographic coverage, language access, appointment method, documents and expected next step.
- Write down the response. Record the organization, staff member or reference number, date, appointment time, documents requested and any referral. Ask the provider to repeat spelling, address and time-zone details.
- Cross-check important information. Compare a community referral with the country Help page, a government directory or the provider’s own official contact page. If the details conflict, call the number published by the official source and ask which information is current.
Questions to ask a service provider
- What services do you provide, and do they match this person’s immediate need?
- Who is eligible: asylum seekers, recognized refugees, resettled newcomers, people with temporary protection, sponsors or family members?
- Does the person need a referral from UNHCR, a government office, a shelter, a school or another agency?
- Do you serve this city, postal code or rural area, and can you help remotely if travel is difficult?
- Is interpretation available in the person’s preferred language? Is it free, and must it be requested in advance?
- Is an appointment required, and can it be made by phone, email, text, web form or in person?
- Which documents are needed, and what can the person do if documents were lost or are unsafe to carry?
- Is there a wait list, an intake deadline or a different service for urgent cases?
- Where should the person go for a need you cannot handle?
How to compare local organizations without assuming one is “best”
Public sources do not establish a universal ranking of refugee providers. Compare organizations by fit and access instead of by a star rating or an unverified testimonial.
| Comparison point | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Service fit | Whether the organization handles the specific need, such as housing, interpretation, language training, health care, school access, employment or legal referral. |
| Eligibility and referral | Which protection or immigration categories are accepted and whether a referral or government registration is required. |
| Geographic reach | Whether the provider serves the person’s city, postal code, province or state, and whether transportation or remote intake is available. |
| Language access | Languages offered, interpreter availability, cost and whether interpretation must be booked before the appointment. |
| Contact and intake | Phone, email, messaging, form, walk-in hours, appointment rules and what happens after an initial inquiry. |
| Official listing | Whether UNHCR, a government directory or the organization’s own verified site publishes or links the contact details. |
Do not treat an organization’s inclusion in a directory as a guarantee of immediate capacity. Ask whether the program is currently accepting intakes and request a referral if it is full.
What support can look like in Canada
Canada’s immigration department describes two related routes. The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) supports government-assisted refugees. Described supports include temporary housing, help finding permanent housing, orientation, registration for essential programs and referrals to other services.
The department also says all refugees resettled to Canada can access Settlement Program services. Examples include information and orientation, referrals, interpretation, language training and job-related services. Each program has its own eligibility rules, so “resettled to Canada” does not mean that every service has identical intake requirements.
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The Canadian provider list can be filtered by province or territory and searched with a city, address or postal code. Use those filters to identify nearby organizations, then confirm the current service, eligibility, languages and appointment process directly with the provider. The directory page showed a date of 2025-10-30 when checked; contact information and program capacity can change after that date.
What support can look like in the United States
UNHCR’s United States partner information describes resettlement as coordinated among UNHCR, United States government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other actors. It names Church World Service, ECDC, Episcopal Migration Ministries, HIAS, the International Rescue Committee, the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, World Relief and Bethany Christian Services as agencies involved in that network.
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What support can look like in the United Kingdom
UNHCR’s United Kingdom Help site provides country information and a helpline. Its resettlement guidance distinguishes local support from an overseas resettlement referral. The page printed on 2026-10-06 reported that the government had announced the reopening of United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme referrals and that UNHCR had a limited quota to refer cases. Pathway rules can change, so check the current official page rather than relying on an older announcement.
For everyday needs in the United Kingdom, use the country Help site and local government or established community-provider information to find housing, advice, language, health, school and employment referrals. A UK-based organization cannot promise that UNHCR will refer someone to another country.
Local settlement help is not international resettlement
Settlement support helps a person live more safely and independently in the country where they are currently located or have already been admitted. It can include housing orientation, registration for public programs, language classes, interpretation, employment help, school access, health referrals and legal information.
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Resettlement is an organized transfer from the country where a refugee sought protection to a third country that agrees to admit the person. UNHCR describes it as one durable solution, alongside other possible outcomes such as safe return when conditions permit or integration in the country of asylum. It is not an ordinary local-service application.
Can someone apply directly to UNHCR for resettlement?
Do not assume that there is a form or routine application. UNHCR’s United Kingdom guidance says there is no application process for UNHCR resettlement. Assessment takes place through the UNHCR office in the country where the refugee is located. Registration with UNHCR, contacting a local agency or asking to be considered does not automatically place a person in the resettlement process.
UNHCR identifies and assesses cases under its procedures, and a potential receiving country decides whether to admit a referred person. A refugee cannot treat a referral as an approval, choose a destination as if selecting a standard visa, or rely on a local nonprofit’s promise of transfer.
UNHCR UK states: “Less than 1% of the world’s refugees are submitted for resettlement each year by UNHCR.” This is a statement about the proportion submitted by UNHCR, not an acceptance rate, a waiting-time estimate or a guarantee for an individual.
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Recognize fraud, coercion and unsafe requests
Use the official country Help page or an independently verified agency contact to check every offer. UNHCR warns about false information concerning resettlement or cash assistance and advises people not to share personal data with unknown individuals.
“All UNHCR services are free,” says UNHCR’s global Help page. UNHCR’s United Kingdom guidance adds: “At no point in the resettlement process should a refugee be asked to pay money or to provide any sort of service, either by UNHCR, an external NGO, or any other individual or organization.” A request for payment, a favor, sexual conduct, labor, a gift or sensitive information in exchange for registration, cash assistance or resettlement may be fraud or abuse.
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Protect personal information
- Share only the information needed for the verified service and ask why it is required.
- Do not send identity documents, passwords, banking details or photographs to an unknown account.
- Check the spelling of an email domain, telephone number and web address against the official country page or the organization’s own published contact details.
- Keep copies of applications and messages in a safe place, but do not store sensitive documents on a shared device if that creates risk.
- If someone claims to represent UNHCR, independently call or message the office through the official channel rather than replying to the unexpected contact.
Report suspicious requests to the relevant UNHCR office and, where appropriate, local authorities or a trusted protection organization. Do not confront a suspected exploiter if doing so could increase danger.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Prepare for the first appointment
Preparation can prevent a second trip, but a missing document should not stop someone from asking for help. Ask the provider what is mandatory before sharing anything.
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- Bring or securely store available identity, immigration, registration, school, medical or housing records if the provider requests them.
- Record household members, ages, disabilities, pregnancy, medical needs and preferred language when relevant to the service.
- List previous referrals, case numbers and appointment dates so providers do not duplicate or lose the trail.
- Ask whether an interpreter can attend and whether the interpreter is independent and free.
- Bring a safe telephone number or email address and explain if leaving a message could put anyone at risk.
For legal or protection matters, ask whether the person is speaking with a qualified lawyer or accredited adviser. A general settlement worker can provide information and a referral but may not be authorized to give legal advice.
When the first contact does not work
The provider does not answer
Try the other official contact method listed by the provider, such as email after a phone call or a secure form instead of an unverified social-media account. Note the date and time of each attempt. If the organization is listed by UNHCR or a government directory, ask that source for an alternative provider.
The person is outside the service area
Ask whether the organization serves the wider region, offers remote intake or can refer to a provider in the correct city. Search again using the province, state, region or postal code rather than only the nearest large city.
The person is told they are not eligible
Ask which eligibility rule prevents access, whether another program accepts the person’s status and whether a referral is available. Record the exact status or document issue; different services may use different definitions of “refugee,” “newcomer,” “asylum seeker” or “resident.”
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The program is full
Ask to join a wait list if one exists, request a referral to another provider and ask what to do if the need becomes urgent. A full class or housing program does not prove that no help exists anywhere in the area.
Documents are missing or unsafe
Tell the provider before the appointment. Ask whether alternative evidence, a document-replacement referral or an interpreter is available. Do not hand original documents to an unverified person.
The person cannot communicate safely
Explain the risk to the provider and request a safer appointment method, interpreter or trusted intermediary. For immediate danger, do not wait for a routine settlement appointment.
Urgent danger and medical emergencies
If someone faces immediate danger, serious injury or a medical emergency, use the emergency service for the country where the person is physically located. The correct emergency number depends on the country and is not supplied here. After immediate safety is addressed, ask the emergency service, hospital, shelter or protection worker for a refugee-support referral.
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For urgent homelessness, violence, trafficking, child-protection concerns or detention, tell the first verified provider that the situation is urgent and ask for the emergency or safeguarding pathway. Do not delay life-safety action while searching for a resettlement option.
A simple decision path
- Need today: identify danger, medical emergency, homelessness, food, protection or another immediate problem.
- Country lookup: open the UNHCR Help page for the current country and locate its official contact route.
- Local directory: search the relevant government settlement or refugee directory by city, region and postal code.
- Provider screening: compare service fit, eligibility, geography, language, intake method and official listing.
- Verified contact: ask about appointments, interpretation, documents, referrals and current capacity.
- Follow-through: record the response, attend the appointment or request the next referral.
- Resettlement question: ask the UNHCR office in the country of asylum for accurate information, but do not pay, assume registration is an application or expect to choose a destination.
What to remember
The safest route is country-specific: identify the need, use UNHCR’s official country Help page, check the relevant government directory, contact a listed local provider and verify the next step. Services and eligibility vary by location. Local settlement assistance can help with housing, orientation, language, interpretation, health, schools, jobs and referrals; international resettlement is a separate, limited referral process in which the receiving country makes the admission decision. Official UNHCR services are free, and no legitimate resettlement process requires money, favors or personal information in exchange for help.
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