New Scots Core Group Minutes: September 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Chair, University of Glasgow
• Bridges Programmes
•  British Red Cross
• COSLA
• Glasgow Clyde College
• Mental Health Foundation
• Public Health Scotland
• Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees
• 3 representatives from Scottish Government
• Representative from Scottish Refugee Council
•  Police Scotland (online)
• 5 New Scots Core Group Advisers (3 online)
• UNHCR UK (observer – online)
• Scottish Government (Secretariat)
• Scottish Refugee Council (Secretariat – Minutes)

 

Guests

• Improvement Service
• UNHCR UK (observer – online)

 

Apologies

• Scottish Refugee Council
• Police Scotland
• SLAED
• 1 New Scots Core Group Adviser

Items and actions

WELCOME AND APOLOGIES

 

• The Chair welcomed guests to the meeting, including the representative from the Improvement Service and two representatives from the UNHCR attending as observers. Everyone briefly introduced themselves. 
• The Chair highlighted changes to group membership, noting a representative from SRC would join the group going forward but sends apologies today, along with Police Scotland,  SLAED and one of the Core Group Advisers.

 

MINUTES/ACTION POINTS FROM MEETING ON 11 JUNE 2025

 

• The minutes were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting on 11 June 2025. The Chair sought and received agreement for names to be removed from minutes going back to December.
• The Chair confirmed that a number of actions have been closed since the last Core Group meeting. It was noted Action 11 was still open –  COSLA said the Hate Crime toolkit for local authorities was not published yet. SRC said Action 15 on the advisers’ digital bulletin was still to be discussed with SRC’s comms team.  

 

REFLECTIONS ON NEW SCOTS LEADERSHIP BOARD EVENT & MEETING

 

• The Chair invited members to share reflections on the Leadership Board Event.
• Two of the Advisers who presented at the event emphasised the value of having an opportunity to share their views and experiences, their role on the Core Group, and hearing the perspectives of other refugee communities.
• COSLA reported that colleagues on Perth Council appreciated the involvement of the third sector, people with lived experience, and local residents, and were grateful for the time given by the Leadership Board at the Youth Services City Base.
• Scottish Government representatives reflected positively on the opportunity to hold an event outside the Central Belt and hear people’s experiences, as well as the strong attendance and balance of perspectives.
• SRC noted feedback from the event had been broadly positive, particularly on the Council of Sanctuary and lived experience presentations, though some people felt there had not been enough time for group discussion.
• The Chair shared her reflections on the afternoon meeting.

 

COMMUNITY COHESION AND CURRENT AFFAIRS 

 

• SG outlined some of the UK Government’s recent announcements, including changes to the early removal scheme for foreign national offenders; the UK-France migration treaty; the new statutory 24-week timeframe for determining asylum appeals; the return of the 28-day move-on period for single adults; the extension of the Ukraine Permission Scheme by a further 24 months; and the appointment of a new Home Secretary and Minister for Border Security. The arrival of two critically ill children from Gaza and their families was also highlighted, with the Scottish Government liaising with FCDO, Home Office, local authorities and health boards on support for families.
• UNHCR addressed the UK Government’s recent ‘good character’ requirement for naturalisation, meaning people who arrived via irregular means would no longer be eligible for citizenship after 10 years. They said the UNHCR view is regularise people instead of keeping them on the margins after being in the UK for a long time.
• On community cohesion, COSLA is working closely with local authorities to address this, with a focus on tackling misinformation and disinformation, peer learning and supporting front line workers, 
•  SRC is exploring ways to work together on these issues with others across the sector and homelessness and women’s organisations. SRC is considering risks and safety concerns, and engaging with local and regional networks to identify allies.
• There was a discussion about fears in communities, the impact of recent events on the mental health of those being targeted and the actions being taken by SG and Police Scotland. Members reflected on the delicate balance between the right to freedom of expression and ensuring the safety of everyone living in our communities. It was noted Police Scotland have a system in place to escalate if needed.

 

 

REVIEWING DRAFT 2025 REPORT WORKSHOP

 

• The Chair explained that the three New Scots partners are sharing the draft Year 1 New Scots progress report with the New Scots Core Group to seek their approval on the approach taken and to help ensure that the final version of the report is clear for wider audiences. 
• Core Group members were organised into four breakout groups to review Delivery Plan action updates and a draft case study. Members discussed whether the action updates and case studies provided a clear understanding of the progress made and identified any terms, acronyms, or abbreviations requiring further clarification.
• Following the group discussions, the chair thanked everyone for their contributions and SG provided a brief overview of what the Year 1 report would look like.
• Referencing the previous work done by the group on indicators, the chair noted that the three lead partners are working together to consider next steps in finalising indicators for the Delivery Plan.

 

ACTIONS

• Action 1 – partners to consider next steps in finalising indicators for the Delivery Plan and report back at next Core Group meeting

 

BRITISH RED CROSS UPDATE ON FAMILY REUNION

 

• BRC provided an update on BRC’s work on Action 3.9 and the pause on family reunion applications:  
  • Under New Scots Action 3.9, work is focused on understanding what happens on arrival, raising awareness of family reunion, and supporting local authorities through capacity building, direct support, and data collection.
  • In early September, the Home Office announced a policy change suspending new family reunion applications. The Home Office has not published data on the backlog or any impact assessment for Scotland or the UK.
  • There are multiple risks associated with the suspension. Information sessions with JustRight Scotland are continuing to explore legal implications.
  • Arrivals are still expected until April 2025, and work is ongoing to support those unable to access family reunion routes.

 

• Discussion followed on possible mitigations, how programme learning can inform future approaches, what influence Scotland can have around integration, employment, or sponsorship pathways, as well as the wider link between integration work and family reunion and the need to learn from international examples.
• SG said the Home Office had mentioned plans for a review and new framework for family reunion.
• BRC noted that the sector had not been informed in advance of the changes. He noted that legal action is ongoing but that it would be difficult to change the suspension, as it appears more like a closure. He added that BRC’s focus was on influencing what happens after April in areas such as language, accommodation, income, and residency requirements.

 

ACTIONS:

 

• Action 2 - Chair to write to the Home Office noting that New Scots Action 3.9 will be impacted by the change to Family Reunion policy, and requesting to see the impact assessment that informed this decision from the Home Office for PPG’s consideration ahead of the December meeting.
• Action 3 - Bridges offered to support outreach sessions focused on health impacts.
• Action 4 - SG to follow up on engagement about the new framework.

 

NSDP PROGRESS

 

• Regarding actions 3.4 and 4.2, Bridges representative highlighted Bridges Programmes’ Refugee Doctors project and plans to expand this to other professions. NSCGA offered to share ideas to support this and offered to meet with Bridges.

 

ACTIONS

 

• Action 5 – NSCGA to meet with Bridges Programmes’ on projects.

 

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

 

• SRC highlighted SRC’s successful tender submission for the Refugee Support Service. This will run from 1 October for two and a half years and will be similar to the existing service with a few small differences.
• Chair thanked all members for their contributions and noted that the next meeting would take place in December with an exact date to follow in due course.