New Scots implementation strategy: equality impact assessment 2024

Executive summary

The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2024 was published on 28 March 2024. It is the third New Scots refugee integration strategy, building on and updating the previous strategy to take account of developments within the last 3 years. It maintains the purpose to continue to coordinate organisations and community groups across Scotland working towards better outcomes for forced migrants.

It provides a clear structure for all those working towards refugee integration and aims to support an effective implementation of the rights and entitlements of New Scots within Scotland’s devolved powers.

The development of the third Strategy was informed by an engagement process involving over 2,000 refugees and people seeking asylum as well as 250 sector professionals and refugee leaders. The engagement feedback, as well as the experience and evidence gathered implementing the Strategy over the past decade, has highlighted the needs of some refugees and people seeking asylum in particular. This includes women, children, young people, and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

The Strategy sets out six principles of the New Scots approach: integration from day one of arrival; a rights based approach; restorative and trauma-informed; involvement of people with lived experience of forced displacement; inclusive, intercultural communities; and partnership and collaboration.

The Strategy sets out six overarching outcomes:

1. New Scots live in safe, welcoming, inclusive communities, where everyone’s dignity is respected and everyone is able to build diverse relationships and healthy intercultural bonds.

2. New Scots are able to access well-coordinated services, which recognise and meet their rights and needs.

3. New Scots understand their rights, responsibilities and entitlements in Scotland and are able to exercise these to pursue full and independent lives. New Scots can pursue their ambitions through education, employment, culture and leisure activities in diverse communities.

4. Communities in Scotland understand integration interculturally and respect the diversity and strengths that New Scots bring.

5. Policy, strategic planning, and legislation, that have an impact on New Scots, are shaped through their participation and informed by their rights, needs and aspirations.

6. The principles of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy guide all future responses to crises that bring forced migrants to Scotland and seek to ensure all such migrants will be treated equitably.

Background

The Scottish Government has stated its continued commitment in its Programme for Government 2024 to support integration of those seeking refuge and asylum within our communities and to provide the safety and security needed to rebuild their lives through the delivery of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan.

This Strategy envisions local communities becoming more adaptable and resilient as a result of their welcoming of New Scots and the sharing of culture and skills. In order to support a long-term approach, the Strategy is not time limited. The New Scots Delivery Plan, shows the specific actions we will take, and when they will be undertaken.

The Strategy is the result of a longstanding partnership between the Scottish Government, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and Scottish Refugee Council. It also supports the many partnerships and initiatives that exist across Scotland to welcome refugees and support New Scots as members of communities.

The beneficiaries of New Scots will be refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants living in Scotland, as well as the communities they are settling in. It will also benefit third party organisations that deliver services and support.

Changes since the last strategy

Since the last New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018 – 2022, there have been a number changes including new legislation on asylum and largescale relocations and resettlement of people from Afghanistan and Ukraine. The Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and the Ukraine Family Scheme were introduced in February 2022 to allow Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK. The Scottish Government introduced a Super Sponsor scheme which removed the need for people fleeing war in Ukraine to identify in advance an individual to sponsor their visa application.

In 2022, there were 6,463 people granted protection in the UK. For the first quarter of 2023, 4,339 people were granted protection – around two thirds of the number granted protection for the whole of 2022. This highlights a marked increase in the number of people seeking asylum compared to the number recorded in December 2017 which was 3,650.

Further data showing increasing numbers is the figure recorded at the end of September 2023 where 6,090 people seeking asylum were in Scotland; 28,795 displaced people from Ukraine had arrived in the UK on a visa with a Scottish sponsor (at 31 March 2025); and 1,638 people supported in local authority accommodation in Scotland through the Afghan resettlement schemes.