Henley & Partners Forges Innovative Partnership with UNHCR

London, 18 March 2015

Henley & Partners announces an innovative partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and donates more than USD 1 million to help the global refugee cause.

Henley & Partners, the global leaders in residence and citizenship planning for wealthy individuals and families, has announced the creation of an innovative partnership with the UN Refugee Agency to join forces in support of those at the other end of the spectrum of global mobility. Through a multi-year partnership Henley & Partners will support UNHCR’s global refugee registration activities with a contribution of over USD 1 million and further advocate and assist UNHCR’s resource mobilisation efforts in the interests of its people of concern.

The concept of residence and citizenship planning was created by Henley & Partners in the 1990s. As globalization has expanded, residence and citizenship have become topics of significant interest among the increasing number of internationally mobile entrepreneurs and investors. The freedom to move in between borders is today facilitated by a number of successful residence and citizenship programs offered by governments all over the world.

“We work at the forefront of this sector and are in a unique position to advocate and facilitate Global Citizenship,” says Christian H. Kalin, the Chairman of Henley & Partners. “It is only natural for us to acknowledge the plight of millions of uprooted families who flee each day the horror of war and conflict to look for international protection in other countries, and to join our forces with UNHCR”.

UNHCR was set up in 1951 to help the estimated 1 million people still uprooted after World War II to return home. Since then, they have helped find durable solutions for tens of millions of refugees through repatriation, local integration or in extreme cases of persecution or insecurity, resettlement. At the start of 2014, over 51.2 million people were uprooted worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violations. This staggering figure is the highest the world has registered at any point since the Second World War.

Henley & Partners’ support will be primarily focused on funding refugee registration and identification documents. UNHCR’s Registration Program is in fact the starting point for all humanitarian assistance. Proper registration and documentation are key to allowing a refugee to access services, aid or protection under the law. Registration is also fundamental to identify those refugees who are most in need, such as female headed households, separated children and people with disabilities, and provide them with appropriate protection. UNHCR registration often provides the only form of documentation for these people. Sadly, this step is too generally perceived as an administrative process rather than as the gateway to protection and services in other countries, and rarely attracts donor funding.

Beyond substantial financial support, Henley & Partners will also integrate advocacy actions for refugees in its corporate social responsibility program by organizing fundraising events and engaging its co-workers, partners and clients to help uprooted people around the world. The UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, Alexander Aleinikoff, is expected to attend the Henley & Partners Forum in Zurich, Switzerland in May 2015, which will be the first of a long calendar of joint global activities to raise awareness about refugee challenges and solutions.

A dedicated fundraising dinner for UNHCR will also be organized on 3 November 2015 in Dubai on the occasion of the Global Citizen Award launch at the Henley & Partners 9^th Global Residence & Citizenship Conference, the world’s leading event of its kind.

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Press Contact

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Amanda Philp

Head of Public Relations, London

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About UNHCR

UNHCR was set up in 1951 to help the estimated 1 million people still uprooted after World War II to return home. Since then, they have helped find durable solutions for tens of millions of refugees through repatriation, local integration or in extreme cases of persecution or insecurity, resettlement.

At the start of 2014, over 51.2 million people were uprooted worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violations. There are now more people in desperate need of UNHCR assistance than at any point since the Second World War.

www.unhcr.org

About Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners is the global leader in residence and citizenship planning. Each year, hundreds of wealthy individuals, families and their advisors rely on their expertise and experience in this area.

The concept of residence and citizenship planning was created by Henley & Partners in the 1990s. As globalization has expanded, residence and citizenship have become topics of significant interest among the increasing number of internationally mobile entrepreneurs and investors who work with Henley & Partners.

The firm also runs a government advisory practice, and have been involved in strategic consulting and the design, set-up and operation of several of the world’s most successful residence and citizenship programs which attracted have more than USD 4 billion in foreign direct investment to date.