James Cleverly has insisted the UK will be able to help more refugees once illegal migration is under control.
The Home Secretary hinted in a statement that the UK will open more safe and legal routes once “we get control on numbers”.
Officials could create a new route, outside of the UNHCR, to take in refugees, the Home Office said.
The Government wants to “expand our reach globally” and to be able to react to global crises quicker.
Ministers are also considering an “Emergency Resettlement Mechanism” to help refugees fleeing wars or natural disasters.
They believe this will allow them to move faster during a global crisis by avoiding having to scramble a plan together.
The Government plans to introduce a cap on the number of people it provides sanctuary to each year from 2025.
Proposals are expected to be put before Parliament by the summer after a report on a consultation with councils to establish their capacity for housing and providing services to refugees is published in the spring.
Mr Cleverly declared: “Through the establishment of the cap, and by bearing down on illegal migration, we will be able to do more for some of the most vulnerable refugees from across the globe, receiving more refugees from UNHCR direct from regions of conflict and instability.”
“As we get control on numbers, we will keep under review whether we are able to do more to support vulnerable refugees and whether we need to consider new safe and legal routes.”
The Home Office, in a separate document, confirmed the refugee cap will include the Afghan Resettlement Schemes and the UN-linked UK Resettlement programme.
Officials added: “UK officials are working to return safe and legal routes to a model which will allow us to expand our reach globally.”
“Through the introduction of an annual cap, we will revert to the approach where refugees can come to the UK when a local authority is able to accommodate them.”
“The cap will include the UK Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 2 and Pathway 3 stage 2.”
“This will in turn provide clarity and certainty to UNHCR on the number of refugees that the UK will be able to take in future years – introducing a quota for the first time.”
The Home Office has warned the large number of arrivals, from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Hong Kong and from Channel crossings, has left UK housing stocks “under strain”.
It added: “This has had a combined effect of negatively impacting the UK’s ability to resettle refugees as this is dependent on local authority capacity to accommodate, welcome and integrate refugees.”
But critics claimed the report failed to set out any new safe and legal routes to the UK.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said: “There urgently needs to be an ambitious plan to expand safe routes by improving resettlement and family reunion as well as piloting humanitarian visas.”
“The government’s plans are woefully inadequate with no meaningful commitment to expand safe routes for refugees from war torn countries, such as Sudan and Syria and those fleeing repressive regimes in countries such as Iran.”
“By solely focusing on the existing limited schemes, the Government has completely overlooked the urgent need to reduce dangerous Channel crossings by providing safe passage to our shores.”
“If the Government is serious about ‘stopping the boats’, it must take decisive action to significantly increase safe routes for refugees, rather than pushing ahead with the unlawful, costly and ineffective Rwanda plan.”
