New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy information: FOI release

Information requested

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, please provide the following information regarding the Scottish Refugee Council and the New Scots: refugee integration strategy 2018 to 2022:

1. The formal role of the Scottish Refugee Council in the development and governance of the New Scots strategy.

2. Whether the Scottish Refugee Council was a member of any steering group, governance board, or theme group related to the strategy.

3. Copies of any terms of reference, governance documents, or agreements setting out the Scottish Refugee Council’s role in the strategy.

4. Any funding or payments made to the Scottish Refugee Council for their involvement in the development or delivery of the New Scots strategy.

To assist with the cost of this request, I am content for searches to focus on the following key terms:

“New Scots”, “Scottish Refugee Council”, “theme group”, “steering group”, “governance”, and “integration strategy”. I am also content for the search to focus on the period 2018–2022.

Please provide the information electronically, preferably in searchable PDF format.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

Question 1

The second New Scots refugee integration strategy was developed and led in joint partnership by the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council.

Question 2

• Directly relating to the strategy implementation:

A diagram of structures which supported the delivery of the second New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy is available on page 26 of: New Scots, Refugee Integration Strategy 2018 – 2022 - Year One Progress Report. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Scottish Refugee Council were a member of following groups indicated on that diagram:

• Leadership Board
• Core Group
• All six Theme Groups (during the course of the strategy, the Education and Language theme groups were combined due to overlapping interests, giving a total of six theme groups: Needs of Asylum Seekers; Employability & Welfare Rights; Health & Wellbeing; Housing; Education & Language; and Communities Culture and Social Connections)
• Evidence Group

For more detail on New Scots Implementation see Annex B of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018 - 2022 at pages 74-75. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

In your question, you asked whether Scottish Refugee Council was a member of any Steering Group.

While it was not part of the formal governance structure, the second New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy did have a Steering Group. This consisted of the lead partners (Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council) and the Independent Chair and met in advance of Core Group meetings to discuss any issues and set the approach for the Core Group meetings.

• Distinct, but related to the strategy:

In August 2020, the New Scots partnership secured funding from the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for a project to enhance the delivery of the New Scots refugee integration strategy. The project was led by the Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA, Scottish Refugee Council and the UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow. A total of £6 million of EU funding was secured, for a £6.6 million project running between October 2020 and December 2023, with the Scottish Government required to provide 10% match funding for the project. The project ended following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. Details of the purpose and amount of funding can be found here: Asylum migration and integration fund: list of actions allocated funding (accessible) - GOV.UK

Scottish Refugee Council participated in the following groups related to the Scottish Government’s EU AMIF-funded project:

• the Project Board
• the Management Group
• various informal/ad hoc workstream delivery groups

Question 3

The documents which set out Scottish Refugee Council’s role in both the strategy itself and the EUfunded AMIF project to enhance the implementation of the ‘New Scots’ Strategy (2018-22) is attached to your reply.

This includes:

• Document 1New Scots – Steering Group – Paper – February 2019 – Paper 3 – Operation of New Scots.
• Document 2 AMIF Project Governance Delivery Board
• Document 3 AMIF – Project partnership – Partnership MOU
• Document 4 AMIF – Project Governance – Project Organogram

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested under question 3, because exemptions under section 38(1)(b) personal information s.29(1)(a) policy formulation, s.38(1)(b) personal information of FOISA applies to that information.

These exemptions are subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing officials and a private space within which to explore and refine the policy position until the Government as a whole can adopt a policy that is sound and likely to be effective. This private thinking space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered, so that good policy decisions can be taken. Premature disclosure is likely to undermine the formulation of Government policy, which in turn will undermine the quality of the policy making process, which would not be in the public interest.

Question 4

A breakdown of funding provided to Scottish Refugee Council which includes the period from 2020/2021 – December 2022 is already within with public domain: Written question and answer: S6W-
35432 | Scottish Parliament Website.

We note that the figures previously provided to you as part of FOI Case Reference: 202600517292 suggested that the figures supplied for Scottish Refugee Council included AMIF funding that was incorrect the AMIF funding was additional. You will see be able to see the breakdown of Scottish Refugee funding via the link above.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

The table below shows that Scottish Refugee Council received the following Scottish Government funding between January 2018 – March 2020 for the development and delivery of the second New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy:

2017/18 funding provided (Q4 only Jan-March 2018)	2018/19 funding provided	2019/20 funding provided
£288,529	£594,000	£534,000

In addition to this, Scottish Refugee Council received funding as part of the abovementioned AMIF project. This was a redispersal of EU funds rather than allocated from Scottish Government budget bill, with 90% of this funding provided by the EU through the UK Responsible Authority (UKRA) and the Scottish Government required to provide the remaining 10% match funding.

AMIF funding was paid out in arrears, following quarterly claims, which were then collated by SG, assessed by UKRA and reimbursed once funds had been received from UKRA. Given the timing of assessment, payments may be subject to normal accrual processes.

Between the start of the project and the end of 2022, total reimbursements to SRC were as follows:

• 1 October 2020 (project start date) – 31 March 2021: no reimbursements issued
• 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022: £321,881.05
• 1 April 2022 – 31 December 2022 (end of period requested): £207,828.92

About FOI

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FOI 202600521104 - Information Released - Document 1 - 4

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