Scottish Refugee Council
Encyclopedia
Scottish Refugee Council was formed in 1985 to provide advice and assistance to refugee
s and asylum seekers seeking protection in Scotland
. The charity
has grown considerably since then, and has its headquarters in Glasgow
, and outreach work in Edinburgh
.
In 1997, Scottish Refugee Council worked with COSLA and Scottish local authorities to change social work
legislation
, preventing homelessness
and destitution for young single asylum seekers. May, 1999 saw an influx of Kosovan
refugees to Scotland, as a result of a resettlement agreement with the UNHCR and Scottish Refugee Council was at the forefront in helping Kosovans settle and integrate in Scottish society.
The Immigration and Asylum Act (1999) led to a large increase in the number of asylum seekers being dispersed to Scotland. Scottish Refugee Council offers advice and advocacy to asylum seekers, and is also concerned with issues of settlement and integration for those who have made Scotland their home and can never return to their former countries.
and volunteering; and networking
and partnership-building.
Scottish Refugee Council provides a number of direct services to refugees and asylum seekers. The organization arranges accommodation and financial support for newly arrived refugees making an asylum claim in Scotland, while its One Stop Service offers independent information, advice, and advocacy
for asylum seekers. The service provides basic immigration advice as well as advice on integration, housing and financial support. Caseworker
s often hear harrowing stories of persecution
and torture
from asylum seekers and refugees.
Scottish Refugee Council is also actively involved in campaigning and influencing public policy. In conjunction with bodies such as the Refugee Council
which is based in England
, Scottish Refugee Council influences policy at Westminster
and the Scottish Parliament
.
The organisation provides information to both press
and the public in order to broaden public understanding of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers. Scottish Refugee Council is active in reacting to press coverage such as the BBC
's Asylum Day programme, and to articles and letters which appear in newspapers and magazines.
Scottish Refugee Council also plays a part in community development, supporting refugee community organisations in Scotland, helping refugees tell their stories to the media, and involving them in policy discussions with politician
s and service providers.
Networking and partnership-building is also important to Scottish Refugee Council. It works closely with other refugee agencies in the UK, including the Refugee Council, the Refugee Survival Trust, and Scottish Detainee Visitors. It also has international links with UNHCR and is part of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
.
is a UK wide programme of events which celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK. Refugee Week 2010 will take place from 14 - 20 June.
During Refugee Week Scotland, hundreds of events exploring refugee experiences take place across Scotland. These range from small community and school activities to art exhibitions, political debates, film festivals, music festivals and sports events. It's All About the Journey is a community blog for everyone involved in Refugee Week Scotland.
In its response to planned cutbacks, the Scottish Refugee Council issued a joint statement with its counterparts in England and Wales:
"Savage cuts to the refugee charity sector will force people who have already fled torture, conflict and persecution in their own countries to suffer even further while seeking safety in the UK."
Mission statement of the Scottish Refugee Council
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and asylum seekers seeking protection in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
has grown considerably since then, and has its headquarters in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and outreach work in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
In 1997, Scottish Refugee Council worked with COSLA and Scottish local authorities to change social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
, preventing homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
and destitution for young single asylum seekers. May, 1999 saw an influx of Kosovan
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
refugees to Scotland, as a result of a resettlement agreement with the UNHCR and Scottish Refugee Council was at the forefront in helping Kosovans settle and integrate in Scottish society.
The Immigration and Asylum Act (1999) led to a large increase in the number of asylum seekers being dispersed to Scotland. Scottish Refugee Council offers advice and advocacy to asylum seekers, and is also concerned with issues of settlement and integration for those who have made Scotland their home and can never return to their former countries.
The work of Scottish Refugee Council
The work of Scottish Refugee Council can be characterised under four broad headings: direct services to individuals and families; campaigning and public information on refugee issues; community developmentCommunity development
Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
and volunteering; and networking
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
and partnership-building.
Scottish Refugee Council provides a number of direct services to refugees and asylum seekers. The organization arranges accommodation and financial support for newly arrived refugees making an asylum claim in Scotland, while its One Stop Service offers independent information, advice, and advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
for asylum seekers. The service provides basic immigration advice as well as advice on integration, housing and financial support. Caseworker
Caseworker
In social work, a caseworker is a type of social worker who is employed by a government agency, non-profit organization, or other group to take on the cases of individuals and provide them with advocacy, information or other services....
s often hear harrowing stories of persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
from asylum seekers and refugees.
Scottish Refugee Council is also actively involved in campaigning and influencing public policy. In conjunction with bodies such as the Refugee Council
Refugee Council
The Refugee Council is the United Kingdom's leading organisation working with refugees and asylum seekers. The organisation provides support and advice to refugees and asylum seekers, as well as support for other refugee and asylum seeker organisations...
which is based in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scottish Refugee Council influences policy at Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
The organisation provides information to both press
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
and the public in order to broaden public understanding of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers. Scottish Refugee Council is active in reacting to press coverage such as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Asylum Day programme, and to articles and letters which appear in newspapers and magazines.
Scottish Refugee Council also plays a part in community development, supporting refugee community organisations in Scotland, helping refugees tell their stories to the media, and involving them in policy discussions with politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s and service providers.
Networking and partnership-building is also important to Scottish Refugee Council. It works closely with other refugee agencies in the UK, including the Refugee Council, the Refugee Survival Trust, and Scottish Detainee Visitors. It also has international links with UNHCR and is part of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
European Council on Refugees and Exiles
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles is a pan-European network of refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations that promotes a humane and generous European asylum policy...
.
Refugee Week Scotland
Scottish Refugee Council coordinates Refugee Week Scotland. Refugee weekRefugee week
Refugee Week takes place in June each year. It is regularly used as a platform for holding hundreds of arts, cultural and educational events....
is a UK wide programme of events which celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK. Refugee Week 2010 will take place from 14 - 20 June.
During Refugee Week Scotland, hundreds of events exploring refugee experiences take place across Scotland. These range from small community and school activities to art exhibitions, political debates, film festivals, music festivals and sports events. It's All About the Journey is a community blog for everyone involved in Refugee Week Scotland.
Funding cuts
In January 2011, the UK Border Agency announced funding cuts for the Scottish Refugee Council, along with other refugee agencies across the country. It is thought that the One Stop Service, which provides advice to asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland could face cuts of 62%. Whilst, the Scottish Refugee Council welcomes the decision by the UK Minister of Education, Damien Green, to extend funding until early 2013, it remains anxious over the potential impact of spending cuts on the services it offers vulnerable people in urgent need of aid and assistance.In its response to planned cutbacks, the Scottish Refugee Council issued a joint statement with its counterparts in England and Wales:
"Savage cuts to the refugee charity sector will force people who have already fled torture, conflict and persecution in their own countries to suffer even further while seeking safety in the UK."
Quotes
"To build a better future with refugees in Scotland"Mission statement of the Scottish Refugee Council