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The UK Government Approach to Syrian-Conflict Refugee Resettlement

Carrie Hough,

Senior Research Officer,

Migration and Border Analysis,

UK Home Office

Overview

This paper outlines the United Kingdom (UK) Government approach to the resettlement of refugees

arising from the current Syrian conflict and the strategy for evaluating its delivery and effectiveness.

It sets out features and characteristics of the Syrian conflict intake, and then outlines the structures

in place to respond to arrivals at the national, Devolved Administration, regional, and local

government levels, including recent policy initiatives. Findings from a small pilot study using UK geo-

located social media posts are used to explore public discourses on the Syrian refugee intake. The

paper concludes with theoretical reflections underpinning the approach to evaluating the delivery

and effectiveness of the scheme at integrating refugees into UK society.

Introduction

In response to the ongoing war in Syria and mass displacement of Syrians, the UK government

announced the establishment of a Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) in

January 2014. Between March 2014 and June 2015, 216 refugees were resettled with prioritisation

given to those requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of violence and torture, and women

and children at risk. In September 2015, the then-Prime Minister announced the scheme would be

expanded to resettle up to 20,000 vulnerable Syrians by 2020. In July 2017, the scope of the scheme

was extended to include other nationalities that have fled Syria due to the current conflict.

The expanded scheme aims to resettle persons in a way that:

secures and protects the refugees and the UK;

has the well-being of the refugee and the welcoming communities at the centre of decision-

making; and

delivers value for money for the UK taxpayer.

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The UK government is working closely with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees (UNHCR) to identify vulnerable refugees who have fled Syria, whom UNHCR deem in need

of resettlement and whose particular needs can only be met in countries like the UK. The UNHCR is

responsible for identifying refugees for potential resettlement and referring them to the

Resettlement Operations team in the Home Office. To qualify for the scheme, an individual must be:

a refugee that has fled Syria because of the current conflict (i.e. since March 2011);

registered with the UNHCR in the Middle East and North Africa region, which comprises of:

Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt; and

considered by UNHCR to meet one or more of their vulnerability criteria: women and girls at

risk; survivors of violence or torture; refugees with legal or physical protection needs;

refugees with medical needs or disabilities; children and adolescents at risk; refugees with

family links in resettlement countries or Humanitarian Admission Programme countries.

Following referral, the UK government undertakes all casework, and accepts the vast majority of

cases. UNHCR and the individuals on the case will then be informed that they have been accepted

subject to securing appropriate accommodation. The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

is then commissioned to undertake medical health assessments (MHA) of all individuals in the case

to identify any public health concerns and future treatment needs. Once a firm offer has been

secured, IOM staff are also responsible for completing applications for UK visas and in some

countries, permissions to exit, conducting pre-departure cultural orientation and arranging flights to

the UK.

Resettlement is one part of the UK’s response to the refugee crisis and is complemented by the UK’s

significant humanitarian aid programme and diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian conflict. To date,

the UK has committed £2.46 billion in response to the Syria crisis, including the provision of nearly

25 million food rations, over 9.5 million relief packages and over 7 million health consultations.

Features of the Syrian conflict Intake

Since its expansion in September 2015, 9,142 refugees have arrived to the UK through the scheme

from Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Figure 1 shows the arrival numbers over time.

In the year ending June 2017, 5,637 people were resettled under the VPRS across 246 different local

authorities.1 Around half (51%) of those resettled under the VPRS were under 18 years old (2,872),

and around half (47%) were female (2,670).

1 UK Home Office, Immigration Statistics – July to September 2017 (published 30 November 2017).2

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Figure 1: VPRS arrivals over time (October 2015 – September 2017)

Source: Immigration Statistics – July to September 2017 (published 30 November 2017)

Characteristics of the Syrian conflict intake on arrival

English language levels

Early monitoring data capturing those who arrived between January and December 2016 indicated

generally low levels of English language among new arrivals. Approximately 8 in 10 individuals aged

16 years and above were at beginner’s level, 1 in 20 had intermediate levels and 1 in 100 had

advanced English levels.2

Health

The resettlement scheme purposefully targets those in greatest need of assistance, including people

requiring urgent medical treatment and survivors of violence and torture. Early data on those who

arrived between January and December 2016 indicated that more than one in five self-reported a

2 Note that the remaining 16% of data returns for this age cohort had incomplete information on ESOL levels.3

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long term health problem or disability that limits their daily activities. Forty four per cent reported

an improvement in health since arriving to the UK.

Legal status

At the beginning of the scheme, early VPRS arrivals were granted Humanitarian Protection status in

order to quickly assist and resettle the most vulnerable. In March 2017, this was amended to

Refugee Leave status in order to grant refugees access to additional entitlements including particular

benefits, swifter access to student support for Higher Education and access to travel documents in

order to assist with the integration process. Refugee Leave is granted for five years, after which it is

open to those individuals to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as permanent

residence.

Responses by Authorities on Arrival

The VPRS is operated by the Resettlement, Asylum Support and Integration Directorate (RASI) in UK

Visas and Immigration in the Home Office (HO). The schemes are run by a tri-partite team of officials

from the HO, Department for International Development (DfID) and the Ministry of Housing,

Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This reflects the fact that successful delivery relies on

knowledge of the humanitarian situation, local government model, and immigration functions.

Local authorities (LAs) from across the UK (including all Devolved Administrations and regions)

participate in the scheme on a voluntary basis and pledge resettlement places in advance of need.

These pledges then need to be translated into firm ‘offers’ of places. There are two main models for

engaging with LAs: the bilateral model (whereby the Resettlement team liaises directly with LAs) and

the regional model (whereby Strategic Migration Partnerships3 from across the regions and Devolved

Administrations work as a strategic and coordinating intermediary between the Resettlement team

and LAs.

In regions operating on a bilateral basis, LAs will be contacted on a case by case basis to see

whether they can resettle each case (consisting of the Principal Resettlement Applicant

(PRA) and their dependent family members). This involves sharing the case details with the

authority who have up to three weeks to decide on whether they can accept the case.

In regions operating through the regional model, the Strategic Migration Partnerships

(SMPs) are provided with the case and medical details of a large number of persons (usually

at least 100) who have been initially accepted for resettlement. The SMPs then have

responsibility for allocating these cases amongst the LAs in their region.

3 Strategic Migration Partnerships are UK Home Office funded regional and Devolved Administration bodies with leadership, co-ordination and advisory functions for migration.

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A number of considerations go into the decision as to where to attempt to place arrivals in the UK

(known as matching) and authorities will make their decision based on whether they have suitable

accommodation and other required services available to meet their needs (e.g. specialist medical

care). Cases which are rejected will be offered to alternative authorities with a view to securing an

offer.

LAs are responsible for providing initial reception arrangements, casework support, education

(including language skills), health care and social care - and provided that the individual remains

within their area - can claim up to £20,520 per refugee over their first five years in the UK towards

the cost of these services.4 The funding is administered through tariff payments which decrease

over time. This reflects the fact that refugees are expected to require less support over time as they

become settled and integrated into UK society.

Central government– recent initiatives

Introduction of remote video/telephone interviewing

In April 2016, the programme team began a pilot to test the practicality of interviewing refugees

remotely (in addition to the UNHCR resettlement interview) in order to improve the information it

holds about them before they arrive. This was intended to improve the matching process of refugees

to local resettlement offers, and to equip LAs with more detailed information which could be used to

put appropriate support and services in place more quickly.

Help Refugees Web Portal

A ‘Help Refugees in the UK’ webpage was launched in July 2016 – 43 LAs have now signed up. This

was developed to make it easier for any member of the public to support refugees in the UK and

allow LAs to focus support on the goods and services that refugees need. It allows LAs to specify

what they need in an area – such as befriending, baby equipment, volunteering opportunities. Offers

in non-pilot areas are received centrally and re-directed.

English language

A grasp of spoken and written English is vital in helping refugees integrate within their local

community. English language skills not only help refugees communicate with people in their new

communities but are also key to finding work, gaining independence and being able to contribute to

the communities who have welcomed them.

4 Resettlement Programme, Funding instruction for local authorities in support of the United Kingdom’s Resettlement Programmes: Financial year 2017-18.

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Adult English language tuition is funded through the local authority tariff in year one. This aims to

put English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision in place to allow someone to begin

their integration into the community. LAs are expected to enrol individuals into ESOL provision

within one month of arrival and to provide at least eight hours of formal tuition per week,

supplemented with additional conversation practice. The requirement is based on extensive

consultation with LAs, Strategic Migration Partnerships, English language tuition providers and the

third sector. The minimum number of hours has been introduced to ensure fairness and consistency

in the amount of English language tuition that each resettled refugee receives. Most resettled

refugees arrive in the UK with very little or no English skills, and it is widely recognised that they

require several hundred learning hours before they will be in a position to integrate and be self

sufficient.

In September 2016, an additional £10 million of ESOL funding was announced above the standard

local authority funding tariff. This is funded jointly by the Department of Education’s Adult Education

budget and from the Syrian Resettlement Programme budget. This is designed to supplement

existing provision and to increase the amount of training available to help refugees on their ESOL

journey, which might include working towards employability. LAs may claim up to £850 per person,

with up to 25% able to be used for capacity building and to make support more accessible. This may

include commissioning bespoke classes, funding online resources, and building capacity in areas

where there has been little or no ESOL provision. A separate fund has been made available for

childcare provision to support access to English language classes. This may be used, for example, to

fund nursery places, or to provide more innovative forms of family learning.

A new post of ESOL Regional Coordinator has also been established which places a Coordinator in

almost every Strategic Migration Partnership. Coordinators are responsible for:

o Mapping local provision.

o Assisting LAs in commissioning services, coordinating volunteers and overcoming

accessibility barriers.

o Sharing good practice to ensure that the additional ESOL funding is taken up in the

most effective way.

Global Mental Health Assessment Tool

The Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) is a computerised clinical interview tool

developed to assess and identify a wide range of mental health problems in primary health care

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settings. It consists of a series of questions that leads to a comprehensive yet quick mental health

assessment. The tool was developed to help staff in any primary care setting make a standardised

and convenient, yet comprehensive mental health assessment and to provide a means to help

people in bringing relief from the sufferings of their mental health problems.

At present, all those who are accepted onto the programme undergo a pre-departure health

assessment carried out by the International Organisation of Migration (IOM). This does not currently

include any systematic screening of mental health issues.

A validated version of the GMHAT tool has been piloted with 200 refugees by the Home Office and

IOM. A mixed methods evaluation is currently underway to assess:

o The tool’s utility in identifying mental health issues and assisting with prompt

referrals in the UK.

o Its acceptability to those who are assessed.

o The feasibility of using the tool across all UK referrals.

Community sponsorship

A Community Sponsorship scheme was launched in July 2016 to complement the LA mechanism for

delivering the commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees by 2020. The scheme puts in place the

Government’s commitment to develop a scheme to allow organisations such as charities, faith

groups and churches to support refugees directly rather than through a local authority. The UK

government has worked closely with the Canadian Government (who pioneered the refugee

sponsorship model with its inclusion in the Canadian 1976 Immigration Act5) and representatives

from the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative in developing the UK Community Sponsorship

scheme.

Community sponsors provide housing for the refugee families, as well as helping them to integrate

into life in the UK. They help to arrange access to medical and social services, English language

tuition and support them towards employment and self-sufficiency. Supporting a resettled family is a

significant responsibility and the UK government carefully assess every sponsoring organisation. The

approval process ensures that each prospective sponsor has sufficient resources (housing, financial

and personnel); has a credible plan for supporting a resettled family for their first year, backed by

relevant experience; and does not present a risk to the resettled family.

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Since the launch of the community sponsorship scheme, many community groups from across the

UK have come forward to express an interest in becoming sponsors. This new approach to

resettlement enables civil society to support traumatised and vulnerable families to recover and

thrive in the UK. As of the first anniversary of the scheme on 19 July 2017, a total of 53 refugees

have been settled under community sponsorship across ten communities. This number, supported

by £1 million funding (announced by the Home Secretary on 17 July 2017), is expected to rise in the

coming years.

Regional and Devolved Administration6 initiatives

There are a number of regional and Devolved Administration level structures in place to coordinate

and support each area’s involvement with the VPRS.

Each local authority region has a strategic migration partnership that provides coordination and

support services for those organisations working with migrants. The Scottish Government

established a taskforce to coordinate Scotland’s refugee response, involving representatives from

the Scottish and UK Governments, LAs and other key stakeholders. The Welsh Administration

established a Syrian Refugee Taskforce to coordinate the response with LAs and the voluntary

sector. The Northern Ireland Executive (working with other key delivery partners) has lead

responsibility for implementing the VPRS in Northern Ireland.7

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Local Government Association (LGA) and

the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) have used existing online platforms to share

resources, information for refugees and case studies. The Associations, Devolved Administration and

Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships and LAs have also established networking events to

support participating LAs, and offer opportunities for more experienced LAs to share their support

and advice to those new to resettlement.8

Local government initiatives

LAs can allocate the tariff payments flexibly across a range of services based upon individual and

local requirements, resulting in a decentralised delivery model. For example, if individuals had low

levels of English language, an LA may choose to spend a greater proportion of their tariff on ESOL

6 The Devolved Administrations consist of the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh National Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly.7 UNHCR 2017, p.9.8 National Audit Office 2016, p.31.

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provision, whereas an LA receiving individuals with more advanced English language skills might opt

to spend more on employability support. Rural and urban area characteristics may also have a

bearing on tariff spending decisions.

Some LAs may deliver services directly, some may rely upon third party delivery partners to provide

aspects of integration support, and others may use a combination. Engagement with the charity and

voluntary sector may also vary by local authority. In accord with the local focus of UK integration

strategies, these factors mean that the nature of service provision (both in terms of the type of

services provided and the levels offered) can and should vary considerably by individual and by area.

Resettlement locations

Before committing to offering resettlement places, LAs are asked to consider whether they have, or

can put in place, the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care and

integration of people in need of help. It is also recommended that areas that are new to

resettlement speak to experienced resettlement areas to learn about best practice.

Resettlement staff in central government work with LAs and other key stakeholders to ensure that

capacity can be identified and the impact on those taking new cases can be managed in a fair and

controlled way. This is to ensure that no individual local authority bears a disproportionate share of

the responsibility or signs up to more than the local structures are able to cope with.

VPRS arrivals have been resettled in 263 LAs across all 12 regions and Devolved Administrations as

outlined in Table 1. The largest number have at present been resettled in Scotland.

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Table 1: Resettlement locations

Region No. of participating LAs No. of VPRS arrivals

East Midlands 19 414East of England 23 458London 17 402North East 8 709North West 21 669Northern Ireland 7 632Scotland 31 1,877South East 47 795South West 28 651Wales 22 608West Midlands 21 861Yorkshire and The Humber 19 1,066TOTAL 263 9,142

The numbers resettled in a particular period depend on a range of factors including the flow of

referrals from UNHCR in the field and the availability of suitable accommodation and care packages

in the UK.

Public discourse and responses to Syrian refugee intake

To date, the UK government has received numerous expressions of interest from various groups

wanting to support the VPRS from across the UK and the numbers are still growing. Volunteers and

communities around the UK have banded together to welcome and support refugees, often in

partnership with LAs. The response of the British public has been, and continues to be, extremely

positive.

Social integration and community cohesion also form facets of the evaluation strategy. This draws

upon the Home Office 2004 publication of ‘Indicators of Integration’ and their emphasis on the

importance of relationships to the understanding of the integration process and how people

experience it in their day to day lives.9

The Home Office has been exploring whether social media analysis could add value to the

monitoring and evaluation of the social integration aspects of the VPRS. A small pilot study has been

undertaken using UK geo-located social media posts to examine how host community attitudes

9 Ager and Strang, Indicators of Integration 2004, p.4. This report investigated different understandings of ‘integration’ as a concept, established a framework for a common understanding to be used by those working in the field of refugee integration in the UK.

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towards Syrian resettled refugees change over time. Initial findings suggested this approach might

potentially provide a proxy indicator for the level of social integration and community cohesion

among active users of social media at a regional level over the lifetime of the resettlement scheme.

This has the potential to be used as one measure (alongside others) for evaluating the effectiveness

of the scheme at socially integrating resettled refugees over the lifetime of the VPRS, to inform the

process of allocating refugees to different areas and to target interventions which foster community

cohesion.

Analysis of tweets focused on sentiment prior to the launch of the VPRS expansion and changes in

sentiment over the initial year and a half. Spikes in twitter activity appeared to be related to key

events during the time period - such as the drowning of the Syrian child refugee Aylan Kurdi, and

the then Prime Minister’s commitment to expand the VPRS scheme. Sentiment analysis also

indicated that the majority of tweets during the initial pilot were positive towards the idea of Syrian

refugees being resettled in the UK (54%). A small minority (15%) displayed a negative sentiment, and

the remaining percentage were neutral (31%). Analysis by location suggest that the volume of

relevant sample tweets varied considerably by region, reflecting differences in regional population

densities, social media usage as well as levels of engagement with the specific topic on social media.

The balance between positive and negative sentiment also varied, however negative tweets were in

the minority regardless of region.

Theoretical Reflections

The evaluation of the VPRS has drawn upon the Home Office commissioned Ager and Strang’s

Indicators of Integration framework and a variety of stakeholder consultation, including a

conference organised by the Home Office in London in January 2016 to discuss best practice and

desirable outcomes.

The Indicators of Integration report investigated different understandings of ‘integration’ as a

concept, established a framework for a common understanding to be used by those working in the

field of refugee integration in the UK and offered a practical tool to assist local projects and policy

makers in planning and evaluating service provision for refugees.10 This framework conceptualises

integration into means and markers (including employment, housing, education and health); social

connections (social bridges, social bonds and social links), facilitators (language and cultural

knowledge, safety and stability) and a foundation in rights and citizenship.

10 Ager and Strang, Indicators of Integration 2004.11

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Figure 2: The Indicators of Integration Framework (2004)

More than a decade after it was introduced, this tool has been used widely both nationally and

internationally in monitoring and evaluating refugee integration interventions.11 In 2017-18, a series

of workshops have been held with key stakeholders from across government, academia and the

third sector to discuss updating these indicators.

Alongside drawing upon this framework, a range of key stakeholders have been consulted to help us

identify the most relevant monitoring and evaluation outcomes for this cohort of arrivals - this has

included academics, NGOs, LAs, the Local Government Association, the Welsh Local Government

Association, the Convention of Scottish LAs and European partners.12 Seven main outcome areas

have been identified for this evaluation.

11 Smyth, Stewart and Da Lomba (2010).12 This included staging a conference in January 2016 with the support of the European Migration Network focused on learning from the past to design a sustainable resettlement programme for Syrian refugees in the UK. This conference involved representatives from local and central government, the third sector, the Syrian community and academia along with other European government representatives to discuss best practice on the resettlement process, from selection, to pre-arrival orientation and post-arrival integration.

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Figure 3: The Seven VPRS Monitoring and Evaluation Outcomes

a) Monitoring information

Six of the seven main outcome areas have been selected which form the first strand of the

evaluation strategy. With the help of LAs and community sponsors, the following information is

being collected at two time points within each individual’s first 12-15 months of arrival to the UK.

The aim of this data collection exercise is to understand the range of individual needs upon arrival

and what has happened to refugees in the early arrival period.

English language –information on ESOL levels, class attendance and any barriers to attending

at two time points within the first 12-15 months of arrival to the UK.

Education – educational attendance and any barriers to attending.

Employment – economic status and period of time from arrival to securing first employment

opportunity.

Health – General Practitioner registration, number of visits and self reported health

measures.

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Health Education

Social Bridges and Bonds

Secondary Migration

English Language

Security and Safeguarding

Employment

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Social Bridges and Bonds – volunteerism, participation in a group/club/organisation,

perceptions on local community cohesion.

Secondary Migration – rates of moving from first assigned accommodation.

b) Administrative data

The second strand of the evaluation strategy involves exploring the potential of using administrative

data to assess long term integration outcomes in the areas of education and employment. Migration

and Border Analysis are currently discussing data sharing agreements with other government

departments and the technical solutions necessary to facilitate this strand of work.

c) Qualitative research

In order to unpick some of the local complexities in post arrival support, the Home Office has

commissioned external research experts to undertake a three year qualitative longitudinal

evaluation of the VPRS and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS). 13 The evaluation will

examine:

how the schemes are operating, including what works well and less well,

the variety of local authority delivery models deployed,

the effectiveness of different delivery models at facilitating integration across the seven

main outcome areas,

the barriers, unmet needs and opportunities for future improvement of outcomes for

scheme beneficiaries.

This will involve qualitative longitudinal research including surveys, online forums, interviews and

focus group discussions with resettlement staff, UNHCR, IOM, SMPs, LAs, third party delivery bodies,

community sponsors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private service providers, refugees

and members of the host community. Key stakeholders from NGOs and relevant

religious/community organisations will be invited to participate in the research study as part of a

wider assessment of the societal response to the integration of newcomers through the schemes.

Findings from this evaluation will inform the development of the VPRS and VCRS and potentially

other UK resettlement and integration schemes.

d) Social media analysis

13 The VCRS is a separate scheme that aims to resettle up to 3,000 vulnerable and refugee ‘Children at Risk’ (including family members) from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by 2020.

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As discussed above, social media analysis is being used to explore whether it might identify changes

in sentiment towards resettling refugees in the UK over time and place as one proxy measure for

assessing the level of social integration and community cohesion.

Next steps for this pilot study will involve triangulating regional sentiment findings with other

sources of attitudinal data in order to assess the representativeness of views expressed by social

media users to wider demographics (as reflected in other opinion polls, Citizenship Survey, British

Social Attitudinal Survey). Migration and Border Analysis also propose to explore how these findings

relate to regional characteristics. For example, whether there are any relationships between regional

patterns of asylum and resettlement arrivals, levels of deprivation, local job market conditions and

online sentiment towards Syrian refugees being resettled in the UK.

Next steps

The resettlement scheme is on track to deliver its commitment to resettle 20,000 vulnerable

refugees by 2020. Interim findings from across all strands of the evaluation strategy will continue to

feed into the development and improvement of the scheme.

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Annex 1: Review of research on Syrian conflict refugees resettled in the UK

Migration and Border Analysis undertook a rapid evidence review of research, monitoring and evaluation that has been undertaken on refugees resettled as a

result of the Syrian conflict (note that this can include nationalities other than Syrian). Table 2 summarises the approaches and key findings of this body of

evidence.

Table 2: Rapid evidence review on Syrian conflict refugees resettled in the UK

Study (Commissioner/ conducted by)

Study timeframe and geography

Aims Methodological approach

Sample Key research findings to date Limitations

Birmingham City Council/ Pip Mayo and Sarah Feeley, Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme: Birmingham Phase 1 Evaluation

December 2015 - June 2016

Birmingham

To evaluate the current delivery of the VPRS scheme in Birmingham, highlight lessons learnt and make recommendations for future arrivals.

Qualitative interviews, questionnaires and focus groups.

All 50 refugees who arrived as the pilot in the city of Birmingham were consulted along with a range of delivery stakeholders.

Generally positive findings about the resettlement of the first 50 Syrian refugees into Birmingham, however the speed with which the contract was established and mobilized and the timing of arrivals was a challenge. Establishing accurate expectations of life in Birmingham is key to successful integration. Refugees highlighted the importance of reunification and the difficulties in navigating the school system. Local stakeholders have now been able to develop partnerships and a clearer service offer so incoming arrivals will be better placed to take early advantage of the services available to them.

A range of stakeholders were consulted through interviews/questionnaires, however there was no information available on how this information was collated, analysed and reported so it is not possible to trace the evidence base for each of the findings.

DWP/ European Rural Development program, Wales

2018-2020 (forthcoming)

Wales

To collect data on the labour market ambitions and prospects of refugees in Wales and understand what support might help them

Not yet determined.

Not yet determined, but will look at a diverse range of areas.

Forthcoming Not yet determined

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achieve these aims.

IRIS Ashley Community Housing/ Halima Ali, The Effectiveness of Current ESOL Courses fromthe Perspective of Refugee Students

2016

Unclear geographic coverage, however refugees contacted through Ashley Community Housing which operates in Bristol, Birmingham and Wolverhampton

To look at the effectiveness of current ESOL courses from the perspectives of refugee students.

8 Semi structured interviews lasting 15-28 minutes, then transcribed and analyzed using a thematic approach.

8 refugees agreed to take part from 60 who were contacted through Ashley Community Housing – sampling method not specified

Lack of interaction with fluent English speakers is an obstacle to learning English for refugees. Additional hours of teaching and more one-on–one tuition are required to improve progress rates. Materials need to be tailored to specific learning needs.

Small sample size, men overrepresented (7 males versus 1 female), and high dropout rate. Note that though this research did involve at least one Syrian refugee, it was not specifically focused on the VPRS and included a range of other nationalities.

Deloitte/ Oxford Refugee Studies Centre, Talent displaced: the economic lives of Syrian refugees in Europe

March-June 2017

UK-wide

To understand the economic lives of Syrian refugees in Europe, focusing on how to support refugees into the world of work.

Survey of refugees across three countries (Austria, the Netherlands and the UK) supplemented by in depth interviews with refugees and businesses.

Snowball sampling, accessed through NGO partners, 305 refugees surveyed in Austria, the Netherlands, and the UK.

152 surveyed from the UK. Access partners for the UK included the IOM, the British Refugee Council, and World Jewish Relief, and 152

Out of 305 surveyed Syrian refugees across 3 countries: 38% were highly educated 82% were unemployed at the time of the

survey. 32% had owned their own business or

worked in a family business in Syria, 1.5% had started their own business in

Europe.

Barriers to finding work: language most significant, followed by lack of adequate assistance to find work, fear that they may forfeit government support, lack of training opportunities to encourage movements across sectors, lack of confidence to navigate the labour market.

Businesses seek legal and regulatory guidance

Non probabilistic sampling through NGOs introduces biases because the sample is proportionately made up of Syrians who are in touch with these organizations. Reliance on a relatively small number of partners in each country.

In the UK, almost all interviewees, 86%,were part of an organized resettlement program whereas the total refugee population is closer to 50% resettlement, 50% spontaneous.

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observations were recorded in ten City and County councils.

around employing refugees. Misunderstanding over what transferable skills and educational backgrounds refugees possess.

Highlighted the importance of their social networks in their host countries for finding work. Widespread access to email and smartphones may offer opportunities for technology to play a role in job seeking and supporting social integration.

National Audit Office/ Sir Amyas Morse, The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement programme

Data collected between April and June 2016. Published September 2016

Does not state which LAs participated however did consult LA stakeholders in England and Scotland

Examines the achievements of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement programme (the programme) to date, the processes in place to deliver the programme, progress against the targets set, and the risks to future delivery of the programme and whether these are being addressed.

Audit using multiple data sources: reviewed internal and published documents, interviewed programme team officials and delivery partners, analysed programme performance data and modelling assumptions, field visits and interviews with LAs, local delivery partners and resettled refugees, local authority

Written submissions from 19 LAs that participated in the programme between September and December 2015 (79% response rate from targeted sample of 24 LAs). Two LAs were selected for case study visits, on the basis that they had resettled a significant proportion of Syrian refugees to date but had different levels of experience of previous resettlement

Success in rapidly upscaling programme and meeting 1000 arrivals by Christmas 2015. Sensible reduction of internal targets in 2016 to allow time to redesign aspects of programme including improving process efficiency and community and designing a monitoring and evaluation framework. Progress has been made but not all developments are operational yet. Main risks have been identified. As programme develops, need to ensure risks to meeting the 20,000 target are mitigated including finding suitable accommodation and school places. As cohort characteristics become clearer, must ensure budget assumptions are revised accordingly to ensure that LAs are not faced with costs that they struggle to meet which might jeopardise refugee integration prospects.

Wide range of stakeholders consulted although only two case studies at the local authority level and limited coverage of refugee perspectives. Coverage of programme operations and delivery but too early to comment on refugee integration.

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submissions, international comparative work.

programmes

UNHCR/ Chris McDowell, Towards Integration: The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme in the UK

August 2016-January 2017

13 LAs were consulted across 7 out of 12 regions/Devolved Nations in the UK

Study of how well refugees resettled on the VPRS program are integrating.

Desk based review of LA and Home Office documents, monitoring and evaluation reports, participant observation of activities of policy and operational staff, interviews with LA integration managers, participatory assessments with resettled refugees.

Interviews conducted with 167 refugees, identified by LA staff. Included 42% women, 58% men. 13 LAs were consulted across 7 out of 12 regions/Devolved Nations in the UK.

The study showed the programme working relatively well. The VPRS is welcomed by UK LAs, devolved administrations and refugees. Funding, particularly in year one, is sufficient to provide the services necessary to settle and integrate refugee families in the short term. LAs, in partnership with charities, churches and community-based voluntary groups, have risen to the challenge of immediate settlement and adaptation, preparing the ground for integration in to the UK. The Resettlement Team in the Home Office, supported by DFID and MHCLG, works effectively to deliver the programme. Refugees already in the UK are determined to integrate into UK society and play an active economic role, avoiding dependency on the state. The success of their children in schooling and beyond is a priority. The study has, however, identified challenges to integration which include: the non-acquisition of English; un- or under-employment; loss of income; the social isolation of elderly refugees; and the possible marginalisation of youths whose education has been severely disrupted, and who, with a poor command of English, are struggling to establish a social identity in the UK.

Identifying refugees through LA staff may have introduced sample biases. Not all regions were consulted. However, the study did succeed in capturing perspectives of arrivals from throughout the different phases of the scheme’s roll out.

Centre for Social Justice/ Dr Barney Gilbert, The Syrian Refugee Crisis: a resettlement

February 2017

Geography not specified

Initial appraisal of the VPRS looking at barriers to access and effectiveness of implementation.

Review of academic and grey literature, Freedom of Information requests to the Home Office,

Sampling method of interviewees not specified.

A range of recommendations including need to monitor UNHCR referrals to identify any under-represented groups, establish a national employment strategy for all refugees including matching refugees to LAs on the basis of their employment skills and local labour demand, introduce a volunteer led mentoring scheme,

Lack of detail on methodology. Report more focused on providing recommendations than findings.

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programme that meets the needs of the most vulnerable

semi structured interviews with councillors, MPS and civil society organisations involved in the VPRS.

make additional ESOL funding mandatory for LAs, provide access to higher education, and increasing mental health provision.

University of Nottingham/ Roda Madziva and Juliet Thondhlana, Provision of quality education in the context of Syrian refugee children in the UK: opportunities and challenges

May-November 2016

Nottinghamshire

To explore how Syrian refugees resettled in December 2015 were integrating into their new community in Nottinghamshire. To understand the inputs and processes that are key to the development of quality education for the refugee population

Qualitative ethnographic research, focus groups and interviews with Syrian refugees, school teachers, council authorities, representative of faith based and migrant support organisations

57 participants sampled through gatekeepers on the basis of gender and age.

Schools have the ability to promote inclusivity, address specific needs, meet psychosocial needs, provide adequate training for teachers, develop peer relationships, and promote multi-agency support and reciprocal home school interaction. Challenges include teacher training and resource provision. Their findings show the major role played by the community in creating a welcoming environment for Syrian refugees on arrival, supporting families in their integration process (including language learning and assisting with children’s homework) and how these initiatives have helped to strengthen the home-school partnership. Cooperation between different agencies is critical to refugee integration in communities in general and the integration of refugee children in schools in particular.

Detailed methodology demonstrated approach in line with best practice – including tailoring the format of the interviews/focus groups to the preferences of the participants and sensitivity demonstrated in including children. As ethnographic in approach, quite narrowly focused on one geographic area – however findings may have wider applicability.

Mayor of London & London Councils/ Alex Stevenson, Pip Kings and Ljaja Sterland, Mapping ESOL Provision in Greater London

February-May 2017

London

To undertake a mapping exercise of ESOL provision and to identify the language learning needs of resettled Syrian refugees in London.

Desk based research, a survey of ESOL providers and interviews with refugee organisations, ESOL providers and other resettlement stakeholders

Sampled using networks provided by Greater London Assembly, Learning and Work Institute and London Councils

Aspects identified as important to meeting the likely language learning needs of Syrian refugees include available pre-entry level provision, informal non-accredited learning pathways for those not able to access formal learning immediately, childcare provision, sufficient and flexible learning hours, appropriate ESOL content, fast track options tailored to employability, awareness of potential barriers (e.g. mental health).

Not all Boroughs were represented, does not it include the opinions of refugees.

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resulting in case studies and borough level reports..

There is a greater concentration of ESOL provision in inner London boroughs. Over half of providers reportedly struggle to meet demand for ESOL. Reported demand is generally at pre entry and entry levels, and these levels are frequently oversubscribed. Limited tailored provision available. Average of 5.5 hours per week provision – this was not considered to be sufficient to support VPR refugees. Lack of information about the provision available in many local areas.

Scottish Government / Refugees Welcome Scotland, Best practice for community involvement in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme

April 2017

Scotland

How have community groups been helpful in supporting resettlement? What could community groups have done better to support resettlement? How could community groups work better with LAs?

Consulted with five LAs and 12 community and faith organisations (including some associated refugees).

LAs were invited to participate where they had working relationships with community organisations – response rate not specified.Sampling method for community and faith based organisations not specified.

Where community organisations have strong working relationships with LAs, resettlement experiences are improved. Recommendation that community organisations be involved in planning and delivery discussions.LAs rely on community organisations to provide critical resources, skills and support – recommends ring fencing funding to mitigate against risk to their sustainability.Current ESOL provision is inconsistent and does not always meet individuals’ needs. Community provision is complementary. Recommend that formal ESOL provision be more frequent, available for longer and accommodate those with other responsibilities.Establish clearer pathways to employment.

Limited sampling information.

Racial Equality Unit, The Executive Office/ Queens University Belfast, Dr Fiona Murphy, Dr Ulrike Vieten, Asylum seekers

February-June 2016

Northern Ireland

What is the everyday experience of integration for refugees, what are the barriers to integration and how can it be improved?

Literature review, questionnaire sent to service providers, civil sector organisations, and local councils

Purposive sampling to ensure a diverse range of participants in terms of nationality, age, gender, legal status, sexuality,

Research participants recommended the development of a refugee integration strategy. General agreement of the two-way nature of the integration process. Main challenges identified (relating to refugees) included: concerns about housing and legal support, lack of services for mental health and for victims of torture. Informational requirements across the sectors need to be better managed. Concern

Not specific to Syrian refugees though they are included in the study, study also looked at the experience of asylum seekers therefore not all findings may be applicable to the VPR cohort.

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and refugee experiences of life in Northern Ireland

working with asylum seekers and refugees and in Northern Ireland. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with service providers, voluntary and charitable organisations and refugees and asylum seekers.

class and religion. about making official complaints, in the event that they do have a negative experience with a particular service. Other concerns were anchored in the need to gain new skill sets (English being one example), and the recognition of qualifications and credentials, in order to accelerate the pathway to employment.

Integration is a two way process, there is a need for a Northern Irish refugee council to combine support

All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees/ Refugee Council, Refugees Welcome? The Experience of New Refugees in the UK

July 2017

Inquiry was UK-wide. Case study visits took place in Nottingham and Bristol.

What happens to refugees once they settle in the UK?

Inquiry conducted by a panel of members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords informed by written responses from relevant parties.

Invited written responses from the public – received nearly 100 submissions from refugees, local groups, NGOs and international bodies, and over 200 responses from questions posed to Clinical Commissioning Groups on the services they provide. Written submissions followed by four oral evidence

The inquiry found evidence of individuals, communities, organisations and local authorities playing a key role in welcoming refugees and areas where Government policies were supporting refugees to integrate. Positive examples of support included employability programmes such as help in writing CVs, converting qualifications and providing training.Barriers to integration were also identified and included: different approaches towards supporting those who have sought asylum in country versus those who arrive via resettlement, the lack of a cross-departmental integration strategy, limited English language provision, difficulties in accessing healthcare, the need for tailored teaching support for children who may have missed parts of their formal education, challenges around family reunification.

There was no information provided on the method for collating and analysing evidence submitted. This inquiry was focused more broadly on refugees including both those who sought asylum in country and those who arrived through a resettlement scheme.

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sessions including local government, refugee support groups and refugees. Two visits to Nottingham and Bristol to speak to refugees and local residents.

Scottish Government and Scottish Refugee Council/ Dr lavinia Hirsu and Emily Bryson, Sharing Lives, Sharing Languages: A Pilot Peer Education Project for New Scots’ Social and Language Integration

January-June 2017

Scotland

To investigate the success of a peer education project to increase the social connections and language skills of refugee participants.

Data was collected in three stages:1. pre-pilot questionnaires, reflective self-evaluations, initial assessment ofactivities in primary and comparative localities;2. participatory activities, self-assessment tools, sessionmaterials, observations and reflections;3. post-pilot case studies, interviews, questionnaires, focusGroups, surveys

32 Syrian participants and 15 local peers

Peer ESOL was found to be an effective way of building social bridges and providing opportunities for refugees to practise and acquire English within a multilingual environment. Peer educators also benefited from developing skills in working with non-native English speakers.

Specific to peer ESOL provision within Scotland.

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and mapping activities.

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