What are Complementary Pathways for Refugees?

Resettlement helps thousands of refugees each year, but many more remain in need of protection. The international community has recognized this gap and is working on complementary ways to offer safety. These complementary pathways provide safe and regulated avenues for refugees to access protection.

Complementary admission routes work alongside resettlement rather than replacing it. These programs allow refugees to enter a new country through existing channels such as education, employment, or family connections. The key difference? Refugees can access regular migration routes that are adapted to meet their specific needs and provide pathways to longer-term protection.

Why Complementary Pathways matter

The numbers tell a sobering story. Approximately 117 million people around the world are displaced from their homes, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that 2.9 million are in need of resettlement. In 2023-24, however, receiving countries provided resettlement places for just 97,000 refugees, or 3.4% of those in need of this solution.

Migration pathways that complement traditional resettlement offer a practical response to this crisis. They benefit everyone involved:

• Refugees gain access to labor and education opportunities and have their protection needs met.
• Host countries address labor shortages and demographic challenges.
• Communities gain skilled workers, students, and engaged residents.

Beyond the practical benefits, these programs recognize something important: refugees aren’t just people in need of charity. They’re individuals with skills, ambitions, and contributions to make. By connecting protection with opportunity, complementary pathways restore dignity and agency to people who’ve been forced from their homes.

Types of Complementary Pathways

Mainstream migration pathways that refugees can access come in several forms, each providing potential routes to longer-term security and protection.

• Education pathways have emerged as an empowering option for refugees. Universities and colleges offer scholarships and programs that help rebuild professional identities, develop skills, and gain qualifications. Many include financial support, language training, and pathways to further study or legal residence for employment. Initiatives such as the Higher Education for Refugees Cooperation Network aim to expand educational pathway programs for refugees across Europe. Complementary education pathways also contribute to UNHCR’s global target of increasing refugee participation in higher education to 15% by 2030.
• Labor mobility programs enable employers to recruit refugees to fill vacancies and combat workforce shortages. These pathways allow displaced professionals to resume their careers, contribute economically, and achieve financial independence. At the same time, host countries benefit by filling critical labor gaps in sectors such as health care, technology, skilled trades, and essential services.
• Family reunification programs aim to complement and expand the legal family reunification rights of refugees and enable more refugees to rebuild their lives by restoring connections with loved ones. Many countries have established family reunion pathways that provide broader definitions of family, recognizing extended relatives and dependent relationships. When refugees can bring family members through these existing channels, it provides safety while strengthening social support networks essential for successful integration.
• Humanitarian visas offer direct admission for refugees facing urgent protection needs. These visas are designed specifically for people requiring international protection and operate outside mainstream migration channels. Countries issue humanitarian visas based on vulnerability criteria, allowing refugees to reach safety quickly without having to meet traditional employment or education requirements.
• Private and community sponsorship programs engage individuals, groups, and organizations in supporting refugees. In some cases, sponsors support integration after refugees arrive through resettlement or other pathway programs. In others, sponsorship is a complementary pathway in itself, with sponsors committing to fund and coordinate all aspects of admission and integration for refugees.

By offering a range of approaches, these pathways can address diverse needs and backgrounds. The flexibility of these options means more people can find routes that align with their circumstances and goals.

Obstacles & Challenges

Despite their promise, refugee programs using complementary pathways face real obstacles that limit their reach and effectiveness.

• Access: Education pathways are often targeted toward university and postgraduate education, with specific academic and language entrance requirements. Opportunities for younger students or those with limited formal educational qualifications are very limited. Labor pathways often prioritize skilled professionals, potentially leaving behind those with other types of professional and vocational skills and experience.
• Administrative Complexity: Getting credentials recognized across borders takes time and money. Coordinating between immigration systems, employers, universities, and humanitarian organizations requires resources that many countries lack.
• Integration Barriers: Language difficulties, cultural adjustment, and discrimination don’t disappear based on the entry channel. Host communities may not understand these programs, leading to confusion or resentment.

These challenges don’t negate the value of complementary pathways, but they highlight the need for careful program design. Expanding access requires addressing barriers systematically, ensuring pathways address protection needs and serve as diverse a range of refugee populations as possible.

The Future of Complementary Pathways

The momentum behind complementary pathways continues to grow. The 2018 Global Compact on Refugees explicitly called for expanding these options, while UNHCR’s Third Country Solutions for Refugees: Roadmap 2030 global strategy targets more than two million refugees accessing complementary pathways by 2028. More countries are launching pilot programs each year, and success depends on sustained commitment from governments, employers, educational institutions, and civil society organizations working together. Most importantly, programs must be designed with refugee voices at the center, ensuring pathways truly meet protection and integration needs.

Complementary pathways won’t replace traditional resettlement, nor should they be used to reduce refugee protection commitments and obligations. They represent an expansion of options, a recognition that protection can take many forms. For a refugee teacher, engineer, parent, or student, these pathways might mean the difference between years in limbo and the chance to rebuild a life. That possibility makes them worth pursuing, refining, and expanding.

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About the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC)

ICMC advocates for the rights of all uprooted people, including asylum seekers, refugees, internally displaced persons, and all migrants. ICMC and its members, the national conferences of Catholic bishops worldwide, remain committed to supporting immigration policies that produce more sustainable solutions.

Our efforts include supporting Church-led responses to displacement in Ukraine, ensuring access to education for displaced children in the Central African Republic, and offering compassionate care for women at the Saint Charles Clinic in South Africa.

We rely on donations to fund our critical humanitarian work and continue changing lives. Find out how you can make a difference and help migrants, internally displaced persons, and refugees in need today!