New Scots refugee integration strategy 2018-2022: summary

Summary of the New Scots refugee integration strategy 2018-22.


Housing

" Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

Article 25 (1) Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Objectives and Actions

The following initial actions set out the work related to housing, which will be progressed in the first instance:

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

Objective: what we want to achieve

Action: what we will do

Refugees are able to fully access support to settle in their new home, and as a result are able to settle and integrate successfully.

Improve refugee and asylum seeker access to support, advice and advocacy from the third sector and community to help with settling and orientation in their new homes and communities.

Ensure that housing services that work with refugees and asylum seekers are aware of safe reporting methods, and are using third party hate crime reporting to increase the numbers of people reporting hate crime.

Start dialogue with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex ( LGBTI) organisations in regard to particular issues faced by LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers, and raised through the New Scots engagement process in relation to accommodation and issues of safety.

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

Objective: what we want to achieve

Action: what we will do

A range of suitable housing options is available to refugees in Scotland.

Ensure that Housing Hubs make housing options information easily accessible to refugees and asylum seekers within all local authority areas, to enable refugees to better understand and exercise their housing rights and options.

New refugees are supported to move from asylum accommodation to a more permanent home, during the 28-day period, by agencies working together to ensure they are aware of their long-term options and are not left without somewhere to live.

Continue to build on partnerships with Registered Social Landlords ( RSLs) [2] in Glasgow, including the possibility of transferring tenancy agreements to allow new refugees to remain in their asylum accommodation.

Build partnerships with local authorities and RSLs outside Glasgow to open up alternative routes into settled housing.

Develop an 'Exit Pack' for new refugees, to ensure they know how to access services to set up their new home.

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

Objective: what we want to achieve

Action: what we will do

Refugees are supported to understand the full range of housing options available to them and as a result are able to make the best possible choice for them.

Include information on best practice working with refugees and asylum seekers within the housing options training toolkit.

Promote the Scottish Refugee Council's Housing Practitioners' Guide to Integrating Asylum Seekers and Refugees throughout Scotland's housing providers.

Start dialogue with LGBTI organisations in regard to particular issues faced by LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers, and raised through the New Scots engagement process in relation to accessing suitable accommodation and support.

Refugees are able to fully access support to settle in their new home, and as a result are able to settle and integrate successfully.

Share best practice and develop approaches to service delivery to improve refugee and asylum seeker access to support from the third sector and community, to help with settling and orientation in their new home and area.

Contact

scotlandsrefugeestrategy@gov.scot

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