Draft Refugee Integration Strategy
The Executive’s Racial Equality Strategy 2015-2025 provides a framework for government departments to tackle racial inequalities and to promote and encourage good race relations and social cohesion. It is for Irish Travellers, minority ethnic people whose families have been here for a number of generations or who have recently arrived, migrant workers, asylum seekers and refugees.
The Racial Equality Strategy states there is a strong case for a separate Refugee Integration Strategy, to ensure a smooth transition between being an asylum seeker and a refugee, and to ensure that refugees can build a new life here and realise their full potential.
The Executive Office, engaging with key stakeholders in various sectors, developed a Draft Refugee Integration Strategy reflecting the thoughts and ideas of those stakeholders, whilst building on learnings from programmes such as the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.
Following a 12-week public consultation from 29 November 2021 to 21 February 2022, the draft strategy was revised to recognise the significantly changed landscape in respect of the Refugee and Asylum Seeker population here. The revised draft strategy reflects the consultation responses and integration needs identified during continued stakeholder engagement. The intention is to bring it to the Executive for agreement.
To find out more about the support provided by the Refugee and Asylum Support and Integration Division, please visit:
Refugee and Asylum Support and Integration Division or email RAScommunications@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk.