Refugees are part of the fabric of our country. For decades we have offered sanctuary to people in need, and those people have gone on to become Scots, and their children in turn. As a nation, we are richer for it, and this is a truth recognised by most.
In January we helped to host a conference to review the impact of the innovative New Scots strategy one year after its launch. The event was designed to see how the strategy, which involves partners from a multitude of organisations in Scotland, is succeeding in terms of its goal of integrating refugees into Scottish society so they can lead the full and rich lives they deserve. Refugees need to not only be offered safety from the horrors they have fled, but also to be able to live secure, happy, healthy and productive lives.
For the sake of those who join us as New Scots, and for the sake of Scotland itself, it makes sense that refugees should be able to use their talents to the max, to live in communities that they can join in with and to be appreciated and valued. The News Scots strategy is designed to make this happen, and while it is clear there is still some way to go (it has only been a year…) the success stories are there. The event was full of genuinely infectious positivity, as well as tough love where necessary.
From the speeches at the start of the day from the likes of Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil to Glasgow Councillor Archie Graham, it is abundantly clear that Scotland is a country that welcomes refugees and political leadership is vital. What was explored throughout the rest of the day was what happens after that welcome.
Watch this short clip of Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil speaking at the New Scots conference.
From the Scottish Government to local councils, from the police to Scotland’s educational institutions, from refugee organisations to individual refugees, participants were diverse and the focus of the event was gathering experience from all participants about how refugee integration is proceeding in Scotland – and securing commitments about moving forward so that things can be improved further.
It is clear that what may seem like small actions to each of us can have tremendous repercussions for individual refugees and families. After a series of cross-cutting workshops, people filled in handprints each representing individual commitments to improve refugee integration. These actions joined together should mean that hundreds of refugees get extra hands along their journey to realising their best possible future in Scotland. As we join the dots between what we are each doing, some great pictures are guaranteed to emerge.
In terms of the details, some fascinating figures were revealed about the refugee population in Scotland and what they have to offer, such as:
- Three of the five top languages of the future are spoken by refugees in Scotland – Arabic, Mandarin and French
- 70% have some form of work experience, with many practical and useful skills, from engineering to hairdressing, banking to lorry driving
- 54% of refugees are between 25 and 34, representing a young and dynamic population.
While some frustration was expressed that the same issues keep coming up over the years without resolution, the outstanding impression of the conference was that it was teeming with positive ideas. The onus is now on those at the conference (ourselves included) to follow up our commitments and ideas to make sure that they become reality. As Binta from Refugee Women’s Strategy Group says: “Enough talk, we need action!”
Much as the conference is a participatory process, so is refugee integration – so please do contact us with any ideas that you might have, and come along to our events, or volunteer.
