New Scots refugee integration strategy: delivery plan 2024 to 2026
Sets out the actions that the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council will take forward with partners during the period 2024 to 2026 to support the integration of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants within Scotland’s communities.
Outcome 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.
Housing was the priority issue raised consistently in the engagement with New Scots and service providers - quality of housing in the asylum process, homelessness once people are granted status, housing supply, quality of infrastructure in neighbourhoods, affordability and understanding of systems to access suitable housing. Housing remains the foundation of any integration journey.
The actions outlined under this outcome are significant and will be required to be taken forward pragmatically, given the major challenges for housing across Scotland. On 15 May 2024, a national Housing Emergency was declared by the Scottish Government, while a number of individual councils had made similar declarations in previous months. Over the course of the last year there has been a record number of homelessness applications in Scotland with 30,724 open cases. In addition, there are increasing and very high levels of demand on housing with 15,625 households in Temporary Accommodation. This includes 9,860 children within 4,855 households with children and/or pregnant women.[3] The housing supply across Scotland is not sufficient and the cost of living crisis is making the private rented sector less and less accessible for many households.
The challenges faced in Scotland on housing are discussed in a number of forums, but primarily the Housing to 2040 Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) that is co-chaired by the Scottish Government and COSLA provides the overarching governance for all housing policy and related activities. The New Scots Strategy will aim to ensure that the housing needs of New Scots are met within the broader context of Scotland's Housing emergency.
Transport – both affordability and availability - is another important priority highlighted in the engagement. Notwithstanding the housing that is available, the ability to travel to meet legal representatives, meet Home Office requirements or simply develop essential social connections is critical. The evaluation of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018 – 2022[4] also highlighted the need to improve access to transport, both in terms of availability and cost.
Racism is often raised as an ongoing problem, both in communities and structurally. Tackling hate crime is an important action that can be taken in order to improve New Scots' sense of safety. Hostile messaging in the media about migrants and refugees, hostile immigration policies and rhetoric about the housing emergency linking the current housing challenges to refugees and people displaced from Ukraine, can all increase the risk for New Scots to be a target of hate crime.
Actions under this outcome have a focus on addressing wider issues related to housing and accommodation, improving the systems that refugees need to access, accessing public transport and the role of public services in helping with community and personal safety.
Long-term Outcome 1 (5+years): New Scots live in safe,welcoming, inclusivecommunities, where everyone'sdignity is respected andeveryone is able to build diverse relationships and healthy intercultural bonds. |
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Activities planned for short term outcome |
1: Lead 2: Other Partners 3: By when |
Short-term Outcome (1-2 years) |
1.1 Working with relevant partners (including Registered Social Landlords), identify the current and future housing needs of New Scots and barriers around housing for some groups, including those at risk of destitution who are not entitled to statutory housing or homelessness services. Ensure issues that are identified are included in future housing policy development. |
1. Scottish Government (More Homes), COSLA 2. Scottish Refugee Council, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE), Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) 3. Ongoing |
1.1 Partners and stakeholders understand current and projected housing needs for New Scots. 1.1 Barriers faced by at-risk groups in accessing safe and secure housing are better understood. |
1.1.1. Review learning from UK Government and Local Government pilots on asylum accommodation, and seek to influence future asylum accommodation provision in Scotland. |
1. COSLA 2. Scottish Local Authorities; UK Government (Home Office) and their providers and Scottish Government (More Homes) 3. 2024-2025 |
1.1.1 Improved housing options for New Scots and the wider community 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 Future contracts for asylum accommodation are more appropriate for asylum seekers in Scotland, with more sustainable housing in communities. |
1.1.2 Work with UK refugee organisations to develop a proposal for the future shape of asylum accommodation contracts on what a not-for-profit model might look like. |
1. Scottish Refugee Council 2. Partner organisations 3. 2024-2025 |
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1.1.3 Review learning from schemes such as the Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund and Local Authority Housing Fund in England to inform future housing policy for all New Scots. |
1. COSLA, Scottish Government (More Homes) 3. 2024-2025 |
1.1.3 and 1.1.4 Alternative housing options within community and Registered Social Landlords settings which provide security of tenure to New Scots at risk of homelessness are understood. |
1.1.4 Build on partnership working between local authorities and social housing providers to improve allocation of housing to New Scots across the whole of Scotland. |
1. COSLA 2. Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Scottish Housing, Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF), Fair Way Scotland, local authorities 3. ongoing |
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1.1.5 In light of the current housing emergency and increasing homelessness, we will continue work towards ending homelessness for New Scots at risk of destitution, including by considering means of scaling up community-based accommodation provision and holistic support that meets the needs of those New Scots who are not entitled to statutory housing or homelessness services. |
1. Scottish Government (Better Homes), COSLA 2. Fair Way Scotland and local authorities 3.2024-2025 |
1.1.5 A review of good practice and lessons learnt from innovative projects e.g. model supported by Fair Way Scotland. 1.1.5 The scale of homelessness across New Scots at risk of destitution, including a gendered awareness of those who are at-risk, is better understood. |
1.2 Develop and deliver a national pilot to support free bus travel for people seeking asylum, building on local and regional pilots delivered by third sector organisations over recent years, and to inform potential for future travel support. |
1. Transport Scotland 2. Third sector organisations, New Scots, Transport Scotland Working Group, local authorities 3. 2024-2025 |
Improved access to services and opportunities to take part in community activities. |
1.3 Promote and support access to existing concessionary travel for those with existing entitlements. |
1. Local authorities 2. Young Scot, other equality stakeholders. 3. Ongoing |
Improved access to services and opportunities to take part in community activities. Barriers in the processes of applying for existing concessionary travel provision are understood and actions to address these are put in place. New Scots understand their rights and entitlements in relation to concessionary travel. |
1.4 Ensure that the needs of New Scots are reflected in the development of a toolkit for local authorities to tackle hate crime. |
1. COSLA, local authorities and Scottish Government (Hate Crime) 2. New Scots Community Groups 3. 2026 |
New Scots and receiving communities feel safer from hate crime. Local authorities have improved knowledge of hate crime and its relevance to New Scots. |
1.5 Support New Scots to understand racism in Scotland and anti- racist approaches through using art-focused learning sessions to unpack racist micro-aggressions and explore how these can be mitigated. |
1. Mental Health Foundation 2. New Scots community groups 3. 2024-2026 |
New Scots understand how racism as a societal issue exists in Scotland. Positive impact on mental wellbeing. |
1.6 Update "Welcome to Scotland - A Guide to Scots Law" and promote it widely. |
1. Police Scotland 2. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), New Scots, Scottish Refugee Council, Scottish Government (Asylum and Refugee Integration), local authorities. 3. 2024-2025 |
New Scots and receiving communities have a better knowledge of the law in Scotland, are able to exercise their rights and as a result feel safer. |
1.7 Identify risks, raise awareness in New Scots communities, and reduce harm from fraudulent traders, exploitative employers, illegal moneylenders, and other forms of commercial exploitation of vulnerable New Scots. |
1. Trading Standards Scotland 2. Mears, local authorities, Scottish Refugee Council 3. 2024-2025 |
New Scots and receiving communities are informed and safer from exploitation |
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