Are you a charity or public sector organisation in Scotland?
Would you like to ensure your volunteering opportunities are accessible to refugees and people seeking asylum?
If yes, let’s talk! Our Volunteer Development Team can support you by answering any questions you may have about refugees’ rights to volunteer in the UK, disclosures and references.
Recruit volunteers face-to-face at our monthly (now online) Volunteering Information Afternoons:
Next meeting: Thursday 30 November, 2-4pm on zoom
To express interest in joining these sessions or to find out more, contact us at volunteering@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
These informal zoom sessions take place on the last Thursday of each month and aim to offer volunteer applicants an opportunity to meet organisations in a supportive setting. If you are recruiting volunteers, and you would like to introduce your opportunities face-to-face to refugee applicants, please talk to us, and come along to one of our monthly Volunteering Information Afternoons.
CLICK HERE TO PLAYRead our Top Ten Tips for Involving Refugee Volunteers:
This guidance was prepared as part of our work with the National Strategic Inclusion in Volunteering Group chaired by Volunteer Scotland.
Want to talk more?
Get in touch by emailing us at volunteering@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk.
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1. Firstly, ask yourself, what would be some of the positive outcomes of involving refugee volunteers in your organisation? keyboard_arrow_rightFor instance, will it help you provide services to other asylum seekers and refugees? Can it enable you plan joint projects/enter into partnerships with refugee support groups and organisations? Can the language skills of refugees be useful in making your organisation more accessible to a wider variety of people? How about advertising for Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin, Tigrinya, Vietnamese or Kurdish speaking volunteers?
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2. Take note: refugees and people seeking asylum have the right to volunteer in the UK. keyboard_arrow_rightSpread this message throughout your organisation: Refugees and Asylum Seekers at all stages of the asylum process (including post-refusal) have the right to volunteer in the UK. Current Home Office Guidance (Permission to work and volunteering for asylum seekers Version 12.0, Published for Home Office staff on 28 October 2022) states that “it is Home Office policy to support asylum seekers volunteering for charities or public sector organisations.” Ensure that your volunteer recruitment staff are consistently trained, and embed this message in the volunteering programme of your organisation, as part of a wider ‘refugees welcome’ message.
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3. People seeking asylum and refugees can obtain disclosures at all levels in Scotland, including PVGs. keyboard_arrow_rightTo support the Disclosure form, many people will have Home Office-issued photo IDs that Disclosure Scotland is happy to accept (ARC – Applicant Registration Card, BRP – Biometric Residence Permit or Convention Travel Document), and can provide letters from the Home Office, NHS or rental contracts as proof of address.
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4. Make it explicit that you can be flexible with references. keyboard_arrow_rightIt may be difficult, even unsafe, for people to provide a professional references, if they have moved to the UK recently, especially if this was for reasons of international protection. Character references can be obtained from ESOL tutors, caseworkers at a refugee support organisation, solicitors or members of a faith group.
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5. Actively recruit, seeking opportunities for meeting people in their own contexts and existing networks. keyboard_arrow_rightContact and visit your local refugee support groups and organisations, find out if there is a refugee support team in your local Council, or ESOL classes for refugees in local colleges.
You can consult our New Scots Connect Map for details of refugee sector groups and organisations in your area. -
6. Make it easy to engage with your programme: do not be over-reliant on a single model of recruitment. keyboard_arrow_rightThough Covid restrictions make this difficult, do not be over-reliant on online adverts, online volunteering registration forms and email communication. These methods can exclude anyone whose first language is not English, and who cannot afford regular access to the internet, including refugees. Ask applicants for their preferred mode of contact. Texting or WhatsApp are a common forms of communication.
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7. Plan pathways to access volunteering in your organisation. keyboard_arrow_rightHow about inviting people seeking asylum and refugees (using existing networks) to your events, then asking attendees to volunteer at ad hoc events, which can lead to longer term volunteering.
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8. Create ‘refugee-friendly’ volunteer roles, support systems and progression routes. keyboard_arrow_rightConsider creating volunteer roles that are suitable for an individual with limited English, with a view to the person progressing to other roles once their English improves and they are confident in your organisational context. You can ask current volunteers if they would consider partnering with or mentoring a refugee with (as yet) limited English at the start of their volunteer placement.
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9. Make it explicit that you will reimburse expenses, daily, easily, and when necessary, in advance. keyboard_arrow_rightPeople in the asylum process receive only £5 per day to cover food, clothing, hygiene and travel costs. A return bus ticket is a significant, sometimes unaffordable cost. People in the asylum process cannot legally be paid, but expenses can be reimbursed, or travel tickets/tokens can be issued in advance. Many people with refugee status are on benefits, and will need to be reassured that volunteering will not interfere with their social security entitlements (Read the DWP guidance on volunteering and benefits)
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10. Have a conversation with your volunteers about their individual life circumstances, and be flexible. keyboard_arrow_rightMany people in the asylum process and refugees have unstable living conditions, and requirements on their time. People in the asylum process have to sign in (often weekly) at immigration or police, as well as attending solicitor's appointments and immigration interviews regularly. Newly-recognised refugees are often adjusting to mainstream benefits requirements, and may be trying to arrange for family members join them in the UK. People are likely to have insecure multi-occupancy housing and change addresses frequently. They will often be attending English courses at college every morning or every afternoon – this is one of the requirements for receiving social security entitlements. Flexibility and open communication will be key to engaging and retaining volunteers.