The Refugee Journey Tahera Khan Senior Race Equality Officer June 2017
Questions Definition of Refugees Definition of Asylum Seekers Number of people forced to leave their homes globally by end of 2015 Numbers in 2015 seeking asylum Numbers of refugees in 2015 What does UNHCR stand for June 2017
Answers • A refugee is someone whose asylum application has been successful and who is allowed to stay in another country. • An asylum seeker is someone who has fled persecution in their country of origin, has arrived in another country, made themselves known to the authorities and exercised their right to apply for asylum. • By the end of 2015 over 65.3 million people had been forced to leave their home • 2.3 million people were seeking asylum • 21.3 million people were refugees • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also known as the UN Refugee Agency June 2017
Resettlement • What is refugee resettlement? • How many refugees need to be resettled globally? • Who is resettled? • How does resettlement in Britain work? • How long do resettled refugees stay? June 2017
Resettlement • Refugee Resettlement - • How many refugees need Refugees are fleeing to be resettled? persecution, violence and According to the UNHCR, of the conflict and are often unable to 14.4 million refugees of concern travel far beyond the borders of to the UNHCR around the world, their home country. They often less than one per cent are live in refugee camps or urban submitted for resettlement – settings for years; many which means many refugees children have lived their entire face a long, uncertain wait to lives in refugee camps. One of hear if they will ever be able to the ways in which the UN’s rebuild their lives in safety Refugee Agency (UNHCR) helps such refugees is to offer resettlement to another country. June 2017
Resettlement continued Who is resettled? Refugees are resettled if their life is at risk or they have specific additional needs and there is no hope of them ever returning home. Many refugees who are resettled are survivors of torture or other forms of violence. How does resettlement in Britain work? The UN’s Refugee Agency UNHCR identifies refugees in need of resettlement in the region. They then submit these candidates to the British Government who decide which cases to accept How long do resettled refugees stay? Refugees being resettled through Britain’s Gateway programme arrive with indefinite leave to remain. That means they can stay forever, in acknowledgment that the only reason they are coming to the UK is because the UN’s Refugee Agency has decided it’s not safe for them to keep living in a refugee camp or precarious urban situation and there is very little hope of them ever returning home. June 2017
Resettlement in Britain What rights do resettled refugees have? All refugees, including those who are resettled through both the Gateway Protection Programme and the Syrian Vulnerable Person’s Relocation Scheme are able to work and access mainstream services. However, Humanitarian Protection means the Syrians resettled here have slightly different entitlements e.g. to higher education. How is resettlement different to asylum? Fundamentally, there is little difference between resettled refugees and refugees who are granted asylum: they are often fleeing exactly the same conflicts, exactly the same persecution though their journeys to safety are very different. Refugee resettlement and different countries’ asylum systems are separate processes. June 2017
Asylum Seekers • Under international law, • Britain offers no ‘asylum visa’ – this anyone has the right to means there are no claim asylum in Britain. safe, legal ways for a However, as with most refugee to reach Britain in order to claim other European asylum. Unlike resettled countries, a refugee refugees, refugees who has to have already claim asylum in Britain arrived in Britain before have often undertaken they are able to make a a perilous journey at the hands of smugglers claim for asylum. before arriving here June 2017
Resettlement in Leicester/shire G4s figures for Leicester/shire January 2017 Current Current Residents Residents Section 95 Section 4 Total Family 655 116 771 Singles 247 38 285 Total 902 154 Service User Movement In 46 Out 42 Net 4 June 2017
Resettlement in Leicester continued • Work concentrating on integration, From a footfall of 5,346 resettlement and support for refugees during the twelve month and new arrivals included: period we worked with 2,818 2,032 cases. 14% increase on individual clients - from 46 last year. different nationalities. • Assistance with Job Search, Employment, Training and Volunteering issues: 375 cases opened. Outcome: 63 into employment or education • Immigration matters 353 • Language assistance through ESOL delivered by volunteers in the evenings: 18 individuals attending a voluntary programme from January – March June 2017
New refugees are supported to move on from asylum support within the28- day ‘move on’ period by providing assistance with applying for welfare entitlements and opening a bank account. Refugees are supported to fully understand the housing options available to them by a range of agencies. Assistance with completing housing benefit forms and support to bid for council housing online. Assistance to chase up identity cards and refugee status papers. Assistance to identify local schools and GP’s and complete registration forms. Refugees are supported to fully understand the labour market and volunteering and employability opportunities. Assistance is provided to develop employability skills Refugees are supported to use the Rapid English programme and Learn My Way. June 2017
And finally, • The Race Equality • Celebrate Refugee Centre is available to week 19-25 JUNE 2017 work with organisations • Visit website for on addressing information and concerns, dispelling resources: www. myths, understanding http://refugeeweek.org. the constantly changing uk/ systems which impact • World Refugee Day is on refugees and new on, 20 June each year arrivals. June 2017
CONTACT DETAILS Contact: Tahera Khan Tel: (0116) 204 2790 Email: tahera.khan@theraceequalitycentre.org.uk www.theraceequalitycentre.org.uk June 2017
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