New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026 - Year 1 Report

New Scots Leaders Visit Perth

The New Scots Leadership Board brings together the Minister for Equalities, Kaukab Stewart MSP, the COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, and the Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council, Dr Sabir Zazai, with the independent Chair of the New Scots Core Group, Prof. Alison Phipps.

The Leadership Board met on 26 August in Perth a year after the launch of the third New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy in 2024, at the University of Glasgow.

The morning allowed leaders to hear from Perth and Kinross Council on its statement against far-right protests intimidating those housed in hotel accommodation. Senior leaders from Perth and Kinross Council spoke of their experience of becoming a Council of Sanctuary, the first in Scotland3, and the work that this process had enabled across the Local Authority.

They emphasised that this approach “builds on the long tradition of our communities welcoming people seeking safety.” They added: “We defend the right to peaceful protest, but protests targeted at those who in many cases have lost their homes and family members to war do not reflect the compassion, solidarity and fairness our communities are known for. That is why we are asking all residents to look beyond the misleading headlines and misinformation and treat those seeking refuge in our area the same way they would hope to be treated.”4

The event also allowed some of the New Scots Core Group Advisers to share their own experiences of being refugees and of the UK asylum system and of finding a way for their voices to make a difference through participation and advice in the New Scots Core Group.

It was clear from all the presentations that ESOL, family safety and reunion, and zero tolerance of racism were critical issues. A positive, whole-community development approach focused on meeting and coming together, in particular through football and other sport. There was recognition of the considerable contribution of faith groups in making a material difference to the sense of belonging and wellbeing for New Scots and their receiving communities.

The Leadership shared lunch and a game of pool with a youth project in Perth enjoying the mix of young people and learning of the Project’s vision and commitment to building safe and generative spaces for meeting and positive relationships.

Perth City Chambers hosted the formal proceedings of the Leadership Board. Discussions focused on the protests against asylum accommodation, anti-immigration protests including by the far right and the mobilisation of anti-immigrant sentiment driven by misinformation. The need for statements, like that of Perth and Kinross Council, and for political leadership, was discussed and since the meeting COSLA Leaders, the First Minister and the Minister for Equalities have all made statements making clear that New Scots are welcome in Scotland.

The whole-society approach of the New Scots Strategy is internally recognised and offers a framework for action and mobilisation across Scotland. At the end of the meeting there was an opportunity for the academic research underpinning the refreshed strategy to be shared this is available in the form of a new, open access (free to download) Handbook of Integration with Refugees: Global Learnings from Scotland.5