Scottish Refugee Council – The NEN

Helping new Scots settle into communities

Action set out to support integration

A package of measures to help ensure refugees and people seeking asylum are supported to make their new communities their home has been unveiled.

The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026 – developed by the Scottish Government, Scottish Refugee Council and COSLA – includes commitments to work with employers to help them recruit refugees, to identify ways to improve English language provision and to ensure services are co-ordinated effectively.

The plan also aims to ensure people understand their rights, responsibilities and entitlements, and to help New Scots and communities to integrate.

Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Scotland has a proud history of welcoming those fleeing war and persecution, and we are dedicated to helping them integrate into communities from the day they arrive.

“It is vital that we support refugees and people seeking asylum to understand their rights and access employment and services to help them to rebuild their lives in Scotland.

“This plan, which was informed by engagement with those with experience of seeking refuge and settling in Scotland, as well as those with expertise in supporting them, lays out the steps we will take to support refugees and people seeking asylum to integrate across different parts of society.

“It also recognises the role communities and employers can actively play in supporting people.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council Sabir Zazai said: “Global conflicts and humanitarian crises are forcing record numbers of people to flee their homes in search of safety.

“The commitments set out in this plan will help those seeking protection in Scotland to rebuild their lives here in a meaningful and sustainable way. We welcome the plan and thank everyone whose views and expertise helped shape it.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Cllr Maureen Chalmers said: “Scotland’s local authorities remain fully committed to welcoming and supporting people who are fleeing war and persecution to find safety and integrate in their new communities.

“The New Scots Delivery Plan sets out actions which local authorities will be working towards to help to improve New Scots’ experiences of living in our communities and accessing local services and, importantly, seeks to ensure that they are able to access their rights. Working in partnership with New Scots themselves, and with our partners, including Scottish Government and Scottish Refugee Council, will be key to the successful delivery of this plan.”

UNESCO Chair for Refugee Integration through Education, Languages, Arts at the University of Glasgow and the New Scots Core Group Chair Professor Alison Phipps said: “To develop the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan, New Scots and communities across Scotland have reflected deeply on what it means to live together, with and despite differences.

“This plan offers an exciting commitment to action across Scotland and to embedding the rights of all who seek refuge.”

Funding to support refugee integration

Ensuring access to information and advice

Refugees and people seeking asylum who live in Scotland will be supported to settle into local communities through new funding for Scottish Refugee Council.

Scottish Government funding of £3.6 million will support Scottish Refugee Council’s Refugee Support Service, which helps people access health, housing, welfare and employment support. It also provides information and resources, as well as encouraging social connections.

The funding will ensure this support can continue, after EU funding the service had previously received came to an end in 2023.

Migration and Refugees Minister Emma Roddick said: “Scotland welcomes refugees and people seeking asylum. Supporting them to settle into communities from day one of arrival, and ensuring they can access information and advice, is key to helping people integrate successfully.

“This Scottish Government funding will ensure that Scottish Refugee Council can continue their vital work to help people begin to rebuild their lives here, particularly as EU funding is no longer available to the service after Brexit.

“Respect and compassion underpin our approach to supporting people displaced by conflict or other circumstances beyond their control. While the UK Government pursues harmful policies on asylum and immigration, we will continue to do everything we can to mitigate their impact.”

Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Refugee Council, Sabir Zazai said: “We welcome this timely investment in a Scotland-wide Refugee Support Service to ensure people seeking protection across Scotland feel welcomed and supported and can start rebuilding their lives in their new communities.

“This integrated service will be available and accessible to everyone who needs it, wherever in the country they are based.

“With a focus on collaboration and partnership, we will work with local authorities, grassroots organisations and communities to build a better future for refugees and people seeking asylum. This approach builds on our extensive expertise of delivering vital integration services over the years.

“Scotland is known around the world for being a warm and welcoming country. We look forward to building on this proud reputation in the coming years as we aim to make Scotland the best place for refugees to thrive, challenge injustice, achieve their ambitions and empower their communities, no matter where they have come from or how they arrived.”

The Refugee Support Service supports refugees, people seeking asylum and other groups of displaced people.

More information, including on how to access advice and support, can be found on Scottish Refugee Council’s website.

A Warm Scots Future for Ukrainians

Next steps to help displaced people rebuild their lives

A new strategy will help Ukrainians living in Scotland to settle into communities and gain longer term housing.

Developed by the Scottish Government in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and COSLA, the Warm Scots Future paper sets out priorities for the next phase of Scotland’s Ukraine response to support those fleeing the conflict to rebuild their lives here.

These include reducing the use of temporary accommodation, boosting access to settled housing, and keeping human rights at the heart of all integration efforts.

To support these priorities, more than £1.5 million is being made available to third sector organisations to benefit Ukrainians.

Local authorities will also receive £3.2 million to support staffing of resettlement teams. This is alongside £30 million being distributed to councils to support Ukrainians into sustainable housing, including through private and social renting.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville launched the plan at an arts and wellbeing event at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain’s (AUGB) Edinburgh hub.

Ms Somerville said: “Scotland acted swiftly to provide an immediate place of safety to Ukrainians following the illegal Russian invasion. We have offered sanctuary to more than 25,500 people since the war outbreak.

“Many of those arrivals have now started to rebuild their lives in Scotland – gaining employment, enrolling children in schools, and settling into communities. As we look to the future, it is right that our approach to supporting Ukrainians reflects these changing circumstances.

“This paper sets out the steps we and our partners will take to help Ukrainians continue to settle into life in Scotland for the longer term. Working closely with charities and local authorities, this will include support for integration – from English lessons, to employment support, to accessing mental health services – and help even more people into settled housing.

“We are clear that we want Scotland to be home for every Ukrainian living here for as long as they need it to be; and this includes a need to establish clear routes to settlement in Scotland for those who wish to stay here. We will also continue to press the UK Government for much-needed clarity on options available for people displaced from Ukraine when the three-year visa period ends.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council Sabir Zazai said: “The illegal invasion of Ukraine reminds us how quickly and devastatingly any of our lives can change. It underlines the lifesaving importance of providing refugee protection in an era of mass conflict and global instability.

“At Scottish Refugee Council we’re proud to have played a part in supporting people through this emergency, and we’ll continue to be there for people from Ukraine to do all we can to support them through the process of rebuilding their lives here.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: “I cannot underestimate the tremendous effort it has taken Councils and all partners to ensure that our Ukrainian guests have found a safe and welcoming place to stay in Scotland.

“The publication of the Warm Scots Future paper represents the start of a conversation on how we can move from an emergency response to a long term and more sustainable approach to resettlement.”

Ukrainian Consul Andrii Kuslii said: “By offering comprehensive assistance, Scotland stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine, extending a message of hope and unity.

“The actions of the Scottish Government and its partners not only provide immediate relief but also send a powerful message to the world about the importance of coming together to support and protect vulnerable populations during times of Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

A Warm Scots Future: Policy Position Paper

warm-scots-future-policy-position-paper Download

Launch of new guardianship service for children seeking asylum

There will be more support for unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children arriving in Scotland, thanks to a new statutory guardianship service.

The Scottish Government has provided £1 million for the Guardianship Scotland service in 2022-23, and a further £1 million annually for the next two years initially.

The service will support children who have arrived in Scotland alone and help guide them through the asylum process.

Aberlour Children’s Charity and the Scottish Refugee Council have been awarded the contract to the run the service. Professionals employed by the service, known as Guardians, will:

accompany children and young people when they claim asylum and support them with expert advice
empower children and young people in the decision making process
listen to the experiences of affected children and young people and explain what is happening to them

Launching the service, Minister for Children and Young People Natalie Don said: “It is a privilege to help launch this new guardianship service, which is another example of how Scotland is offering a welcoming environment to people arriving in our country.

“Arriving alone can have a devastating and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people – so it is vitally important for them to be given access to the care and support they need to help them adjust to their new life here.

“I look forward to working with the Scottish Refugee Council and Aberlour to ensure that we are getting it right for all of the young people in need of our support.”

Catriona MacSween, Head of Guardianship Scotland, said: “It is wonderful that we can continue to deliver the excellent service. It is testament to the commitment and fantastic work of our guardians who work closely with local authorities and many other organisations to support unaccompanied children and young people.

“Asylum seeking children and victims of trafficking arrive in Scotland alone, confused and scared, having been through unimaginable trauma. We are so pleased that our work has been recognised and we can continue to help them.”

SallyAnn Kelly OBE, Chief Executive of Aberlour Children’s Charity, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded the contract to run Guardianship Scotland.

“Aberlour has worked alongside the Scottish Government, Home Office and local authorities to ensure every unaccompanied asylum seeking child who is a victim of trafficking or potential victim of trafficking has the support of a guardian over the past 12 years. Recently, we have seen a significant rise in the numbers of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and there is an even greater need for the service.

“We are delighted to build on this successful partnership with the Scottish Refugee Council and provide support to more unaccompanied children.”

Sabir Zazai OBE, Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council said: “We are delighted to be delivering Guardianship Scotland with Aberlour and look forward to continuing our work together to develop this essential service.

“The young people we work with have been through things no child should have to endure. Many have survived human trafficking or fled countries torn apart by war, arriving in Scotland traumatised and alone with no friends or family to take care of them.

“We are committed to ensuring that every unaccompanied child in Scotland gets a dedicated guardian to support them, speak up for them and be by their side as they rebuild their lives.”

National Galleries of Scotland gifts art packs to young Ukranian refugees

Three thousand art packs for refugees and asylum seekers have been made by the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Intended as a warm welcome to people arriving in Scotland who have fled conflict or persecution, they are being gifted in partnership with several charities and local authorities.

A large group of Ukrainian children and young people recently picked up their packs at an art workshop at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Organised by NGS and Dnipro Kids, a charity which supports orphanage children from Ukraine, activities across the day included an introduction to painting with their new watercolour sets, clay sculpture making and exploring the gallery spaces.

Thousands of the packs have been shared among other charities, including Aberlour Scottish Guardianship Service, Scottish Refugee Council, SCOREscotland, Cyrenians and The Welcoming. Local authorities across the country have also assisted in distributing the art materials to refugees and asylum seekers in their areas.

The packs contain 10 high-quality postcards showing artworks from the national collection, specially chosen for the children and young people receiving the packs. The images were selected with the intention of providing hope, to spark their curiosity and to introduce them to Scottish culture.

For instance, Una and the Lion (c. 1860) by William Bell Scott draws on the story of a brave young girl undertaking a frightening journey on her own. The packs also contain a sketchbook, pencil, colouring pens, a watercolour set and paint brush.

Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “It is a privilege for the National Galleries of Scotland to play a small part in extending a warm welcome to the people who will receive the art packs, and we very much hope they enjoy getting creative with them.

“We are also grateful to the charity and local authority partners who are helping us with distribution. We would welcome hearing from other such organisations should they be interested in requesting art packs for their beneficiaries.”

Steven Carr, Chair of Dnipro Kids said: “We’re very grateful to the National Galleries for their help. This art packs and visit have been wonderfully stimulating for the kids, who have enjoyed themselves immensely.

“The welcome and kindness from the people of Scotland continues to amaze us all, and this is another example of how people have opened their hearts to our group.”

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said; “We are pleased that players of People Postcode Lottery support the National Galleries of Scotland in extending a warm welcome to children and young people forced to flee from danger in their home countries.

“We hope the art packs offer all recipients the opportunity to spend some time getting creative as they settle in here in Scotland.”

Pictures: Roberto Ricciuti.

Guidance for people hosting refugees from Ukraine

Are you hosting someone from Ukraine? Scottish Refugee Council is holding free online info sessions on the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme.

If you have questions about the process, join us on Tuesday, 31 May or Thursday, 9 June to find out more.

We’ve teamed up with the Scottish Government to run online information sessions on the Ukraine Super Sponsor Scheme.

When:

Tuesday, 31 May from 12.45 pm-2.15 pm

Thursday, 9 June from 10am-11.30am

These sessions are for anyone who is interested in hosting, or has registered to host people from Ukraine, either privately, or through the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Super Sponsor scheme.

We will:

Introduce the Scottish Government Ukraine Super Sponsor Scheme: Guidance for Hosts
Cover key aspects of hosting such as eligibility criteria to become a host, the role and expectations of hosts
Share information about resources and further support available for hosts
Respond to questions around hosting.

How to join our information session:

The sessions will be held on Zoom and will run for 90 minutes.

We’ll send you a Zoom link the day before your session.

£1.5 Million National Lottery funding boost for refugee communities

The Scottish Refugee council has joined forces with The National Lottery Community Fund to distribute £1.5 million in National Lottery funding for projects that help New Scots feel at home in their communities.

The Participating in the Funding Process Project will award grants to grassroots groups and organisations that are refugee led, or provide support for people seeking safety in Scotland.

The funding is for organisations that missed out on grants awarded through the New Scots Refugee Integration Delivery Project due to the incredibly high demand.

We’ll approach groups directly about this funding opportunity. All projects will be assessed by a panel made up of funding staff from The National Lottery Community Fund and representatives from refugee communities.

This collaborative approach is an opportunity for funders and refugee communities to share expertise, build capacity and learn from each other. It aims to help raise awareness and increase understanding of the challenges that small, volunteer-led groups face when approaching funders.

Kate Still, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland, said: “We value lived experience in our grant making, and believe that people know best what is needed to help their communities thrive.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure that £1.5 million of funding raised by National Lottery players goes to grassroots groups and organisations that are refugee led or provide support for people seeking safety in Scotland.”

Scottish Refugee Council Communities Manager, Jewels Lang said: “We’re delighted to partner with The National Lottery Community Fund on this exciting new project.

“The funding will make a wide variety of integration projects possible. Projects that will make a real difference to the both the organisations delivering them and the many people set to benefit from them.”

Refugee projects in Scotland awarded £2.8 million

Organisations and community groups working to support refugees in Scotland will share £2.8 million through a new grant scheme.

In total, 56 projects will receive funding to deliver initiatives designed to help New Scots settle in their adopted communities by promoting employability, education, health and social and cultural connections.

Grants awarded include:

£104,615 for employment and training support for refugees in the West of Scotland
£72,930 to help Arabic speakers in Dundee, Fife and Clackmannanshire access certification to work in the Scottish construction industry
£114,987 to improve mental health and reduce loneliness and social isolation of refugees and separated children in Edinburgh
£23,075 for English language learning (ESOL) in Midlothian that focuses specifically on preparing learners for the workplace

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We are committed to supporting the integration of asylum seekers into our communities from day one, not just when leave to remain has been granted.

“The funding and development of these projects will support our aim to have cohesive, connected and multi-cultural communities where people can access services and be supported into employment and education.

“Scotland has a long history of welcoming asylum seekers and refugees from all over the world. In re-building their lives they help make the country stronger, more compassionate and more successful for everyone.”

This project is part funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and is part of the New Scots Refugee Integration Delivery Project. It is led by the Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA, Scottish Refugee Council and the UNESCO Chair at the University of Glasgow.

Scottish Refugee Council CEO Sabir Zazai said: “There is such a strong will in Scotland to support newcomers and make people feel welcome. Equally strong is the desire from refugee-led groups to make a contribution and use their skills and expertise to create flourishing, well integrated communities.

“This funding will build on all of this and allow groups and organisations to strengthen and deepen their work with people seeking safety in Scotland.”

COSLA’s Community Wellbeing spokesperson, Councillor Kelly Parry said: “I am thrilled so many local authorities have secured funding to implement a wide range of exciting projects aimed at enhancing refugee integration.

“From improving refugee employability to developing tailored mental health support for young asylum seekers, the projects being funded are both ambitious in their scope and innovative in their approach.”

UNESCO Chair at the University of Glasgow, Alison Phipps, said: “The New Scots policy is regarded with acclaim internationally, modelled on human rights and dignity for all.

“It is especially heartening to see refugee led projects at the forefront and to know that new and expanded work will take place across Scotland.”

Festival will celebrate refugees’ contribution to life in Scotland

‘We are proud that Scotland provides a place of safety to men, women and children fleeing terrible situations around the world and think this is something worth celebrating.’ – Suzi Maciver, Scottish Refugee Council

Refugee Festival Scotland is back for its fifteenth year and runs from 3 – 21 June with a packed programme of events at venues across Edinburgh. From art to theatre there is something for everyone to get involved with and learn more about life for refugees in the UK.

The first festival took place in 2000 and was held over one day in Glasgow. It has now rapidly expanded to involve communities all across Scotland with its wide range of events!

This year’s festival theme is ‘celebrate’. The festival offers an opportunity to join in, celebrate and support the diversity and the contribution refugees make to Scotland’s cultural life – the food and drink, music and poetry, dance, visual art, language and ideas that refugees bring with them when they begin new lives in Scotland. The events reflect upon the positive variety these contributions make to the community’s we live in.

Scottish Refugee Council’s Arts Officer Suzi Maciver said: “Most refugees arrive in Scotland with little more than the clothes on their backs and the stories and memories in their hearts. In fleeing for their lives, people leave behind their homes, jobs and loved ones.

“But people don’t come here with nothing. They bring skills and talents, songs, stories, recipes and so much more. They become our friends, colleagues and neighbours, and make Scotland a richer and more vibrant place to live.

“Refugee Festival Scotland offers an opportunity for people from different communities in Edinburgh, as well as its other locations in Scotland to come together and learn more about these different backgrounds, individual’s stories and cultures in their area.

“We are proud that Scotland provides a place of safety to men, women and children fleeing terrible situations around the world and think this is something worth celebrating.”

Here are some of the event highlights coming to Edinburgh in the 2015 festival:

FILM

When I saw you

A young Palestinians search for a way out of a refugee camp in Jordan in 1967. This leads him into a group of freedom fighters and a life-changing journey.

Filmhouse, Edinburgh

Sunday 7 June, 3.30-5:30pm. £9.00 full price/ £7.20 concessions

To book visit: filmhousecinema.com / Box Office: 0131 228 2688

Wilaya

A visually stunning drama which offers a fascinating look at the culture of Sahrawi people, a young woman leaves her foster family in Spain and returns to her family at a refugee camp in Wilaya.

The Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh

Wednesday 10 June, 7:00pm-9:00pm. Free

Information contact: info@africa-in-motion.org.uk

THEATRE

A quick decision can be made

A story of detained fast-track procedure.

A new play to understand the absurdity of the system for those claiming asylum in the UK, with the support of the Mary Leishman scholarship and the Adam Smith foundation.

Discover 21, Edinburgh

5-6 June, 7:30pm. £5, ticket available at the door

Bookings: aquickdecisioncanbemade@gmail.com / 07722415057

ART

Refugee Festival Art Exhibition

An exhibition of visual art by multiple artists around the themes of refugees, displacement, diaspora and acceptance.

Forest café, Edinburgh

1-30 June, 10.00am-11.00pm, Free.

MEET-UPS

Refugee Survival Trust Picnic

A chance to meet refugee survival trust volunteers and supporters over a scenic summer picnic. Bring along international snacks.

Arthurs Seat/Holyrood Park

Sunday 7 June, 12.30-3pm, Free.

Follow us on Twitter @ScotRefCouncil and use our festival hashtag #RefugeeFestScot or become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/refugeefestivalscotland