Settling into any new community can sometimes be difficult but more so if you have arrived there seeking safety having fled from persecution and conflict.
At a time when many wealthy countries are turning their backs on the plight of refugees and right wing politicians are filling minds with hatred towards those who arrive seeking asylum, in Scotland there is a different road being travelled. Embracing the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament: ‘wisdom, justice, integrity, and compassion’, support organisations, local government and the Scottish Government have come together to welcome refugees into our communities.
In Scotland a new strategy has been developed to support all those who are refugees and those who are seeking asylum in our country. A partnership of The Scottish Government, the Scottish Refugee Council, and COSLA has published The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026.
CEO of the Scottish Refugee Council, Sabir Zazai said:
“Scotland is a welcoming country whose people want to open their hearts and doors to people seeking refuge. We want Scotland to be the best place in the world for refugees to thrive and contribute to their communities.
“Global conflicts and humanitarian crises are forcing record numbers of people to flee their homes in search of safety
“The commitments set out in this plan will help those seeking protection in Scotland no matter where they have come from or how they have arrived to rebuild their lives here in a meaningful and sustainable way.”
The New Scots vision is for a welcoming Scotland where refugees and people seeking asylum are able to rebuild their lives from the day they arrive – New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy
The strategy is all about support for New Scots and to help employers to recruit refugees, to identify ways to improve English language provision and to ensure services are co-ordinated effectively.
The plan also aims to ensure people understand their rights, responsibilities and entitlements, and to help New Scots and communities to integrate.
The term ‘New Scots’ is used to refer to people living in Scotland who have been forcibly displaced or are making a claim that they have a well-founded fear of persecution. The term ‘New Scots’ includes people who have been granted refugee status or another form of humanitarian protection, and their dependents; people seeking asylum and people seeking protection as a result of displacement, exploitation or political persecution; as well as those whose application for asylum has been refused, but who remain in Scotland. It also includes people who are or may become stateless and in need of international protection.
Equalities Minister in the Scottish Government Kaukab Stewart said:
“Scotland has a proud history of welcoming those fleeing war and persecution, and we are dedicated to helping them integrate into communities from the day they arrive.
“It is vital that we support refugees and people seeking asylum to understand their rights and access employment and services to help them to rebuild their lives in Scotland.”
There are six principles which form 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
- Partnership and collaboration
COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said:
“Scotland’s local authorities remain fully committed to welcoming and supporting people who are fleeing war and persecution to find safety and integrate in their new communities.
“The New Scots Delivery Plan sets out actions which local authorities will be working towards to help to improve New Scots’ experiences of living in our communities and accessing local services and, importantly, seeks to ensure that they are able to access their rights. Working in partnership with New Scots themselves, and with our partners, including Scottish Government and Scottish Refugee Council, will be key to the successful delivery of this plan.”
Scottish Government funding of £3.6 million for Scottish Refugee Council’s Refugee Support Service was announced in April 2024. This service helps refugees and people seeking asylum access information and advice.
UNESCO Chair for Refugee Integration through Education, Languages, Arts at the University of Glasgow and the New Scots Core Group Chair Professor Alison Phipps said:
“To develop the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy Delivery Plan, New Scots and communities across Scotland have reflected deeply on what it means to live together, with and despite differences.
“This plan offers an exciting commitment to action across Scotland and to embedding the rights of all who seek refuge.”
Fiona Grahame