New Scots refugee integration strategy 2018-2022: first year progress report

Context

This report of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018 – 2022 provides a summary of progress made during the first year of implementation. It focuses on work which has taken place and highlights where action is being informed by the lived experience of refugees, asylum seekers and communities. It does not provide a comprehensive overview of progress for all actions in the strategy. 

Over the course of the multi-year strategy, actions will be prioritised by New Scots partners, informed by their direct work and engagement with refugees, asylum seekers and communities. As such, how and when actions are taken forward will vary, depending on the priorities identified and opportunities to make progress. 

The strategy is designed to be dynamic and to be able to respond to changing circumstances. This means that new actions may be introduced during the course of the strategy. In this first year, focus has been on the actions contained in the strategy, which were developed following engagement in 2017. 

This report sets out what has happened in year one of the strategy under each of the New Scots outcomes:

1. Refugees and asylum seekers live in safe, welcoming and cohesive communities and are able to build diverse relationships and connections.

2. Refugees and asylum seekers understand their rights, responsibilities and entitlements and are able to exercise them to pursue full and independent lives.

3. Refugees and asylum seekers are able to access well-coordinated services, which recognise and meet their rights and needs.

4. Policy, strategic planning and legislation, which have an impact on refugees and asylum seekers, are informed by their rights, needs and aspirations.

The New Scots engagement which took place in 2017 saw over 2,000 people participate, including 700 refugees and asylum seekers. This report has been structured in recognition of the themes participants raised as being most significant for supporting integration. 

Key messages which were received through the engagement are set out as ‘you said’ under the relevant New Scots outcome. Work which has taken place in response is then set out as ‘we did’.

An engagement analysis report is available online.^[1]

Key themes highlighted in response to the New Scots engagement in 2017