Refugee Integration
Effective refugee integration involves developing the structures to ensure that refugees are able to both access the services to which they are entitled and achieve their potential as members of British society.
Integration is now recognised as a dynamic, long-term and two-way process that enables refugees to take an active part in in the communities in which they live. The challenge of supporting refugee integration is therefore relevant across the public services, Local and Central Government as well as at a community level and involving refugees and asylum seekers themselves.
The Home Office published its refugee integration strategy in 2005, following consultation and research and building on the work of the National Refugee Integration Forum (disbanded in 2006). It provided detailed actions to be taken forward nationally and can be accessed below:
In 2009, 'Moving on Together: Government's Recommitment to Supporting Refugees' was published by the Home Office to underline their commitment to respond to and include the needs of refugees through working in partnership.
The West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership developed a three year Regional strategy for the social inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers from 2006-2009. It recognised that integration begins from the first day a person seeking asylum arrives in their new society and set out key Regional actions for integration. A review has now been completed of this srategy.