1. Refugee integration in a multi-level context; the impacts of UK policy on refugees in Scotland

2. Structure A few words on terminology A brief history of British integration policy, or lack thereof Some effects of the asylum process on refugee integration

3. Terminology Refugee and asylum seeker UNHCR - "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country or return there because there is a fear of persecution..." An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for refugee status but has not yet been recognised as a refugee Discourse - Bogus, clandestine, illegal etc - Security threat, welfare threat, threat to national ‘culture’

4. What is integration? Term traditionally avoided in Britain, seen as too close to assimilation which conflicted with the multicultural approach. Approach since 1960s,external - control numbers of arrivals; internal - race relations policy. Transversal Risk that both individualise a collective/societal issue

5. Integration – How the Government see it UK Govt – occurs due to 5 key developments – combatting extremism, common ground, responsibility, participation, social mobility. Eric Pickles – integrate into ‘British values’ SG Integration strategy – integration from day 1 ‘We see integration as being a two-way process that involves positive change in both the individuals and the host communities and which leads to cohesive, multi-cultural communities’.

6. Integration policy in Britain – a brief history Dual consensus challenged from late 1990s with increase in numbers – key part of Labour economic strategy Consensus hold for refugees – resettlement Vs spontaneous arrivals - Refugees the only migrant group with a specific integration policy in 2000s

7. UK policy around refugee integration UK Government – Sunrise and RIES provide time limited employment support (and housing for Sunrise) But Asylum seekers not included. Temporary refugee status Stratified rights – e.g. right to work

8. The asylum process and some of its impacts

9. Time in the asylum process

10. Housing Poor accommodation while in process “the house we live in at the moment is hell. It’s in a pitiful state. There’s lots of dampness on the walls. There is water that’s leaking through the roof and there’s dampness in the bedroom. ….. Damp started appearing last year in 2010. So I’ve been telling them about this dampness problem since May 2010” (E137) Time to access appropriate housing – all newly recognised refugees become homeless – 28 days High housing churn – more than a third had lived in present accommodation for a year or less

11. Employment Asylum seekers denied the right to work Deskilling during the asylum process – some denied right to work for many years “I’ve got a gap between my previous experience and now. I need to know what kind of experience they have here in this country” (E33). Constant struggle to access employment once recognised as refugees – just 20% in employment

12. Mental health Warwick/Edinburgh scale Scottish Population50.7 Total study sample49.7 Refugee sample50.8 Asylum seeker sample47.2 Scottish male population51.3 Study male sample50.9 Scottish female population50.3 Study female sample49 Female asylum seekers44.2 Culture of Disbelief in decision-making ‘It’s like, you see, I’m a sick person, if I tell you something ….. then you tell me I’m a liar in my face’ ‘Being an asylum seeker is like you’re being in jail’

13. Some Conclusions Contradictory policy-making? – integration is difficult due at least in part to the asylum process Where it happens it is despite rather than because of UK Government policy Stratification of rights suggests no desire for integration Basic principle of policy-making should be problem prevention – asylum and refugee policy fails that test

14. Thank you for listening