The Long Term Integration of Gateway Protection Programme Refugees in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire

UWS-Oxfam Partnership, Collaborative Research Reports Series Series Editors: Chik Collins and Francis Stuart The Long Term Integration of Gateway Protection Programme Refugees in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire Duncan Sim and Kait Laughlin School of Media, Culture and Society, University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus, PA1 2BE October 2014 1 Funded by the UWS-Oxfam Partnership 1 This report was funded by the UWS-Oxfam Partnership, however it does not necessarily reflect the views or policy of Oxfam Scotland and the contents are the sole responsibility of the authors. The University of the West of Scotland-Oxfam Partnership: ‘For a more equitable and sustainable Scotland’ The UWS-Oxfam Partnership is a formally established relationship between the two organisations, underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding. The Partnership emerged as a result of collaborative work between UWS staff and Oxfam and its community partner organisations, revolving around the development of Oxfam’s antipoverty advocacy and campaigning in Scotland. The Partnership comprises: • A Research and Knowledge Exchange linking UWS academics and Oxfam and its community partners in collaborative projects; • A programme of placements and work-related learning and volunteering opportunities, enabling UWS students to contribute to the work of Oxfam and its community partners, while learning and developing their experience and skills; • The UWS-Oxfam Policy Forum, which brings all of these partners together with a broad range of external organisations from across all sectors of Scottish society, to discuss key questions and to inform understanding and engagement with both existing and emergent issues. The Partnership publishes a series of Collaborative Research Reports, edited by Chik Collins (UWS) and Francis Stuart (Oxfam), which, together with other information on the activities of the Partnership, can be found at the following link: http://uwsoxfampartnership.org.uk/category/oxfam/ Report No. 2: The Long Term Integration of Gateway Protection Programme Refugees in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire In this report Duncan Sim and Kait Laughlin of the UWS School of Media, Culture and Society report on the experience of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who were settled in Motherwell from 2007 under the Gateway Protection Programme, the UK’s official refugee settlement programme. The particular value of this report, which we believe makes its contribution unique, is that it follows up on previous work conducted by Duncan Sim in 2008. The latter report described a generally positive experience over the first year, but also concern over the emergence of potentially problematic issues for the future. This new report, based on work conducted in 2013, is able to provide a picture of how these issues were experienced and engaged with over the following five years. In analysing their findings, the authors make innovative use of Oxfam’s Humankind Index, and go on to provide a number of recommendations for organisations and agencies , both locally and also more widely. The report is a welcome and very important contribution to the UWS-Oxfam Partnership’s vision of ‘a more equitable and sustainable Scotland’. CONTENTS Acknowledgements Executive Summary 1 1. Introduction 3 2. Researching the Gateway Protection Programme 7 3. Refugee Integration 12 4. Methodology 15 5. The Refugee Experience 17 6. Looking to the Longer Term 43 7. Conclusions: Measuring the Findings against the Humankind Index 46 Recommendations 56 References 58 Appendix: Copy of Questionnaire 60 The Long Term Integration of Gateway Protection Programme Refugees in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was funded by the University of the West of Scotland-Oxfam Partnership and we are grateful for that support. Thanks go to North Lanarkshire Council, in particular Jonathan Smith, for providing background information, contact details for the refugee families and for facilitating the work. Thanks also to the former School of Social Sciences, now part of the new School of Media, Culture and Society, of the University of the West of Scotland for administrative support. For interpreting assistance with two of the interviews, our thanks go to Stephen Kaye of the University of Edinburgh And finally our thanks above all go to the refugee interviewees themselves. We hope that this research is of help to them as they continue to make a new life in a new country. University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus October 2014 The Long Term Integration of Gateway Protection Programme Refugees in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction In 2005, North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) decided to participate in the Gateway Protection Programme (GPP), the UK’s official refugee resettlement programme, and the Council remains the only local authority in Scotland to do so. In 2007, a total of 77 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo were resettled in Motherwell. In 2008, the University of the West of Scotland completed an evaluation for NLC of the first year of refugee settlement in the town. The 2008 evaluation The report (Sim and Gow 2008) acknowledged the success of the multi-agency and inter-departmental approach taken in North Lanarkshire. Refugees had been helped into employment, although at the time many of the jobs being undertaken by refugees were temporary and some relatively poorly paid. Many refugees were working at a level below their qualifications and abilities. In contrast to local authorities in England participating in the GPP, North Lanarkshire had allocated refugee families secure tenancies in social rented housing. As a result, families were generally satisfied with the houses they had been allocated and there was also a satisfaction with the neighbourhood, despite occasional instances of anti-social behaviour. Many refugees viewed their neighbours as friendly or helpful. Education services were highly valued by the refugees, particularly at school level and families were pleased with – and proud of – their children’s progress. As far as adult education was concerned, ESOL1 classes were valued, and some refugees had chosen to attend college, so that they could receive formal certification which they could show to a future employer. It was recognised that ESOL classes would continue to be necessary for some time. There was a general satisfaction with GP services, and refugees were happy with the treatment they had received. None of the refugees referred explicitly to trauma or to mental health problems in the interviews, although occasionally, they touched on emotional issues. Professionals were, however, becoming increasingly concerned at the emergence of trauma and mental health issues. It appeared that the Congolese refugees were ‘settling’ in Motherwell and beginning to make friends with Scottish people, although the process was taking time. The process was easier for children and younger people who were attending school and perhaps also for those men who were in employment or attending college. Women who remained at home with children did not mix as much. It was generally accepted that it was perhaps rather early for refugees to feel comfortable participating in local organisations, although the important exception to this was church attendance, and churches were an important part of life for all refugee families. Many refugees were thinking of applying for British citizenship. In the interim, they were seeking to obtain Refugee Travel Documents and some a driving licence (important in applying for jobs). The process of obtaining documentation was, however, time-consuming and potentially frustrating. The present study In 2008, it became clear that there were some issues emerging which had the potential to be problematic on an ongoing basis. One was a concern about finance and there was a degree of confusion about the welfare benefits system, and about household bills (including Council Tax); many families worried as to how they might pay these. Other ongoing information issues related to areas such as employment and education, where refugees were sometimes unsure who to ask or talk to for advice. So, while it was important that the high level of support offered during the first year was reduced, so that refugees could achieve their independence, at the same time this needed to be balanced with some level of ongoing support. The School of Social Sciences of the University of the West of Scotland, with funding from the UWS-Oxfam Partnership and the support of NLC, decided to undertake a second study of the Congolese refugees in 2013, to talk to them about their experiences during the intervening six years, and to identify ongoing concerns. A total of 18 interviews were carried out, involving 17 households and 30 individual participants; some households declined to be involved. 1 English for Speakers of Other Languages The Long Term Integration of Gateway Protection Programme Refugees in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire 1 Although most of the men are still in employment, the majority have worked in insecure, part-time jobs with periods of unemployment in between. Many refugees are not using the skills which they possess and so job satisfaction was very variable. The majority of women did not work, although many wanted to and this reflects both a lack of opportunity and a lack of childcare facilities. It may be that Motherwell is too small a town to offer a full range of employment opportunities although these may exist in the wider Lanarkshire and

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