Written evidence from Migration Yorkshire [CCI0056]

Summary

1. Migration Yorkshire supports people and organisations to achieve the most positive outcomes of migration for everyone in the Yorkshire and Humber region. We provide leadership and coordination, evidence, and practical assistance to organisations from all sectors at local, regional and national level. We believe in improving understanding, supporting the integration of migrants and maximising opportunities for all to create a more equal and enriched society. Migration Yorkshire is a partnership of councils working across the whole of the Yorkshire and Humber region and is based in Leeds.  
2. We welcome the opportunity to respond to this call for evidence. This response was informed by our experience of managing programmes of support for migrants across Yorkshire and Humber, and by recent research in which we have been involved.
3. We understand that there to be an important relationship between community cohesion and the integration of migrants into our communities. Much of Migration Yorkshire’s work relates to ensuring new arrivals from overseas can settle well in their new neighbourhoods in Yorkshire and Humber. Integration is a multidirectional process with all stakeholders having a degree of responsibility to enable it. We recognise that enabling newcomers to feel welcome and take part in their new communities is important for cohesion, as well as ensuring the benefits of migration are felt by local communities. As such, it is vital that national level policies facilitate integration, and that appropriate resource is provided for measures to support it.
4. We have responded to all the specific questions of the inquiry, summarised next.

What assessments have been made of community cohesion in the UK in a local and national context?

5. Migration Yorkshire has been involved in several research projects and opinion polls in recent years relating to the theme of community cohesion:

• Communities up Close considered how different neighbourhoods have experienced and responded to recent migration. The research found that in places experiencing decline, community tensions could be heightened by some residents’ perception of a link between new arrivals and the difficult economic conditions. The report recommends local policymakers support initiatives to promote meaningful contact between communities, and a partnership approach to address community tensions.
• A social connections toolkit followed from this research, exploring what helps people feel connected, identifying barriers, and considering how residents and stakeholders can create welcoming spaces and support connections.
• Migrant experiences of antisocial behaviour: this research is not yet published but indicative findings suggest that migrants often experience persistent antisocial behaviour including verbal abuse and physical assault, but that there are multiple barriers to reporting.
• Further research projects have explored the experiences of settling in the UK for refugees, people arriving on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The findings provide insights into how services and communities can help people settle and feel welcome here, enabling them to become part of their local communities in a meaningful way and so promoting social cohesion.
• We commissioned three opinion polls in recent years. Results show people in Yorkshire and Humber are more likely than not to think migration has had a positive impact on the UK but, in line with national trends, some views have become more negative recently. People are less likely to think migration has had a positive impact on their local community than at a national level. They express concerns about impact on services and resources (especially housing), employment and crime. In the 2020 poll, less than half of respondents thought migrants were well integrated in the local community, and there was support for measures such as enabling asylum seekers to learn English and work. On the other hand, our region is seen as more welcoming to sanctuary seekers than previously. There has also been improvement in the level of interaction between migrants and the rest of the community, although there is still significant scope for more. Finally, there’s an encouraging interest among Yorkshire and Humber residents in getting personally involved in supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.

What are the primary barriers and threats to community cohesion? 

6. A toolkit developed by IPPR in partnership with Migration Yorkshire, identified a number of barriers to social connection. These include fears of racism and prejudice, and a lack of community spaces, which when they exist don’t always feel safe and welcoming. Particularly for those seeking sanctuary, more pressing concerns can limit people’s ability to engage, such as housing, immigration status, and worries about family overseas, as well as the ongoing impact of trauma. Information about local activities doesn’t always reach some communities, and there’s a need for people to feel they have a stake in local decision-making.
7. The continued use of hotels to house asylum seekers can easily undermine community cohesion. The dispersal model allowing asylum seekers to be based within communities is more conducive to cohesive communities.

How can social media impact community cohesion?

8. In our experience, social media can be a helpful tool in promoting community cohesion - for example, facilitating the formation of local groups to support new arrivals.
9. However, we also have experience of the expression of negative and hostile views, which can create a generally false impression of unwelcoming communities. The rhetoric used by the previous government, reported and amplified in social media (as well as some mainstream media) impacted on the public perception of migrants. We know that protests regarding asylum hotels (including those in summer 2024) are often fuelled by social media misinformation. We are also aware of the distress caused to refugees and people seeking asylum by misleading claims about their circumstances. The politicisation of refugee policy can hamper the process of integration, thereby posing a threat to cohesion.

What can be done at a local and national level to improve community cohesion?

10. We have previously called for the development of a UK-wide, government-led, long-term refugee integration strategy to enable government to fully identify gaps and develop sustainable policies that address the holistic nature of refugee integration.
11. Migration Yorkshire published a regional refugee integration strategy in 2022 (‘Making Connections, Building Resilience’) which informs our work to support integration in Yorkshire and Humber. Migration Yorkshire runs a Regional Refugee Integration Forum bringing together over 40 leaders and stakeholders from a range of sectors in the region, with the aim of bringing the strategy to life. The primary aim is develop a whole society approach to refugee integration in Yorkshire and Humber. However, without further resources and national leadership, there will always be limits to what can be achieved through these regional initiatives.
12. There is a notable lack of integration support available to asylum seekers through the asylum contracts, as well as limited support for different groups of recognised refugees and other new arrivals. The withdrawal of a number of funding schemes and a lack of equivalent alternatives has had a huge impact on the ability of local authorities and the refugee and migrant sector to support local integration processes, and therefore there have been many lost opportunities to build stronger local communities. We’d encourage parity across all schemes so that refugees arriving as asylum seekers, on a resettlement programme or another ‘safe and legal route’ are provided with a similar package of integration support, rights and entitlements. Central government must consider how better to coordinate multiple different funding programmes with differing instructions for local authorities responding to different schemes. Consideration of a merging of all refugee integration programmes would be beneficial.

What examples are there of best practice which has positively impacted community cohesion?

13. Migration Yorkshire has been involved in various initiatives which have positively impacted community cohesion in our region:

• In our strategic role, we support stakeholders to manage cohesion issues relating to accommodation for asylum seekers and resettled refugees. For example, in the case of a Ministry of Defence base being used for resettled refugees, we supported the local authority to allay local concerns and address antisocial behaviour directed at some families, and the site has run successfully with no further community issues.
• Migration Yorkshire has coordinated numerous events and initiatives to bring people together from different backgrounds, providing opportunities for people to make new social connections and learn about different cultures and practices. These include the annual Yorkshire Integration Festival.
• Recognising the importance of providing opportunities for the general public to increase their awareness of the realities of migration, and help promote constructive and informed discussions, Migration Yorkshire has been involved in producing a number of storytelling products. These include a play about a Syrian refugee seen by over 3,000 school students, digital stories produced by young people seeking asylum, and a comic and interactive documentary sharing stories of people’s experiences after being granted refugee status.
• Migration Yorkshire runs a regional training programme which improves understanding and awareness about migration, mainly aimed at those who encounter people with a migrant background as part of their roles.
• Connecting Opportunities (2017-2023) supported nearly 2,000 new migrants towards employment and integration in the Leeds City Region. Two-thirds of participants had increased confidence in English language, more than a quarter found work, and a fifth felt more integrated into British society.

How should community cohesion be best approached in schools?

14. The Children and Families Wellbeing Support Service is an example of a successful approach to supporting school-age refugee children and their families in relation to the impact of previous trauma, providing specialist therapy to resettled refugee children and their families in Yorkshire and Humber. The service also aims to help increase awareness and understanding of refugee children and their families, working across organisations to help reduce misconceptions and stereotypes.
15. Our full response is outlined in the remainder of this submission.

What assessments have been made of community cohesion in the UK in a local and national context?

16. Migration Yorkshire has undertaken or commissioned a number of research projects in recent years which relate to the issue of community cohesion. Findings relevant to this inquiry are summarised here.

Communities up Close

17. Communities up Close was a project which considered how different neighbourhoods have experienced and responded to recent migration. Researchers spoke to over 300 residents and stakeholders in 10 neighbourhoods in Yorkshire and Humber. We commissioned the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) to conduct the qualitative research, and their report[1] includes some findings and recommendations relating to cohesion and integration, summarised in the following paragraphs.

• A ‘neighbourhood typology’ was developed as part of the research, to categorise neighbourhoods according to their responses to recent migration-driven population change. For example, some types of neighbourhoods with a limited history of migration found it harder to adapt to new arrivals. Neighbourhood identity, for example linked to industrial heritage, was important to help understand response to population change. The research considered the impact of the local economy on the response to migration, finding that in places experiencing decline, community tensions could be heightened by some residents’ perception of a link between new arrivals and the difficult economic situation. Associations were also sometimes made with issues such as problems with the neighbourhood environment, antisocial behaviour and crime. These are evident in mixed reactions to a diversification of local businesses, for example. Geography was also a factor, with the type of place to some extent determining the level of integration expected of new arrivals; expectations of newcomers could be lower in inner cities than small towns, for example. The typology aims to act as a tool which can be used by local areas to encourage the sharing of good practice between similar neighbourhoods, and to support the development of appropriate policy responses.
• A key theme in the research was the value of social contact between different communities in facilitating cohesion and integration locally. The report recommends that local policymakers (in consultation with residents) support initiatives to promote meaningful contact between communities, in sustainable ways rather than simply putting on token events. For instance, this may be through councils and businesses providing financial support to local voluntary and community sector organisations and co-delivering services with community groups.
• Many participants emphasised the importance of community-led approaches to integration, with residents wanting to be actively involved in decision-making. The report recommends that local policymakers make more active use of consultation procedures to engage and share power with local residents in decision-making on integration issues. This could include advisory groups or citizens’ juries, for example. Local authorities could work with grassroots organisations to maximise the range of voices, including those from migrant communities. One council in the region implements a devolved budget scheme where funds are allocated at ward level and local residents and councillors come together to decide how the money is spent; this innovative approach could be replicated. At a time when local authority budgets are stretched, increasing community involvement in decision-making could help ensure councils are better placed to address residents’ priorities.
• In some research sites there was tension between communities. There was some concern about under-reporting of racist incidents, underlining the importance of local authorities and the police building trust with new arrivals. To detect low level tensions early on and resolve differences, the report recommends local policymakers take a partnership approach, coordinating between police, schools, councillors, voluntary organisations, and local services. Some effective examples of this approach were identified. Anti-rumour campaigns are recommended to respond to instances of ‘fake news’ about new arrivals. This approach was developed in Barcelona[2] and promotes alternative, positive narratives about new arrivals rather than dismissing or negating residents’ claims which can risk further alienation.

18. Other relevant issues raised in the report included:

• Research participants recognised the importance of English language in facilitating integration but reported limited funding opportunities as a barrier. The report recommends local authorities prioritise increasing provision and widening access for English language support. There should also be improved local coordination and partnership working. Increased investment in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision at a national level is also recommended.
• Residents emphasised that the lack of community and social spaces made it harder to meet other people locally. The report recommends investing in public spaces, high streets and transport in towns and more rural areas, where it was found the need for social infrastructure was particularly great.

• Recent migrants and settled residents alike struggled to spend sufficient time building relationships in their community due to long working hours, low pay, and irregular work. IPPR’s report recommends a renewed focus on decent work, for example by expanding the rights of those on zero hours contracts and raising the minimum wage to the real living wage. It also recommends local authorities engage with employers, recognising their role in supporting integration.
• The report recommends that via the work and study visa systems, employers and educational institutions should be encouraged to support social cohesion in their local areas.

Social connections toolkit

19. To address some of the findings from the Communities up Close project, IPPR, in partnership with Migration Yorkshire, developed a toolkit to support people working with refugee, migrant and receiving communities in Yorkshire and Humber to build the foundations for meaningful social connections and promote social cohesion.[3] The toolkit was developed following research with community members across Yorkshire and Humber (both migrants and longer-term residents) and stakeholders, looking at what helps people feel connected, and identifying barriers. We know that levels of loneliness are high among the non-UK born population (for example see James et al, 2024, p.18)[4] due to factors such as negative social interactions and not having social ties with people from both similar and different backgrounds. The toolkit considers how residents and stakeholders can create welcoming places and support connections, sharing best practice, practical guidance and resources. It focuses on five key themes, each relating to different actions to promote cohesion and social connection, and to address social isolation.
1. Holding activities that bring people together.
2. Creating public spaces and infrastructure that work for communities.
3. Investing in inclusive education, skills and training opportunities.
4. Including diverse communities in decision-making.
5. Transforming systems to meet community needs, including: joined-up working; tackling discrimination, prejudice and hate crime; trauma-informed care.
20. As part of the project, a manifesto for action was developed at a workshop with a group of 14 residents. The manifesto shares the importance of social connection for these residents, what is needed for them to feel connected, and the action they want to see locally.

Migrant experiences of antisocial behaviour 

21. In partnership with Leeds Beckett University, Migration Yorkshire is exploring how migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and other recently settled populations experience antisocial behaviour. Interviews were undertaken just prior to the summer 2024 riots with participants from across the Yorkshire and Humber region. The results have not yet been published, but indicative findings suggest that migrants often experience persistent antisocial behaviour including verbal abuse and physical assault; in some cases this is racist or linked to their migration status. However, the research has found multiple barriers to reporting including language, lack of information, negative perceptions of the police, not wanting to cause trouble or appear ungrateful, and a fear of jeopardising their status in the UK (particularly for those awaiting an asylum decision). The impact of these experiences of antisocial behaviour can be significant; participants talked about feeling unwelcome and unsafe, and about the effect on their mental health. Some spoke about avoiding certain parts of their local area and reducing their interaction with people in the community.

Research on experiences of settling in the UK

22. Migration Yorkshire has undertaken a number of research projects considering the experiences of settling in the UK for people seeking sanctuary. The findings provide insights into how services and communities can help people settle and feel welcome here, enabling them to become part of their local communities in a meaningful way and thereby promoting social cohesion.

• ‘Living the Weathers and other stories’[5] was an exploration of the emotional side of integration. It considered questions such as what kind of places matter most for someone who was forced to make a home in a new country, the role the weather plays in the processes of integration, and how the word ‘refugee’ shapes the daily lives of the people it marks. The important role in their settlement journey of experiences, practices and connections people have in other places outside the UK, came through in this research.
• The Everyday Co-living project explored the experiences of hosts and guests in the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The research highlighted various complexities that emerged from mundane day-to-day lives that mattered and made the relationships more or less successful. 
• ‘Someone who smiles, that's all you need: life in Yorkshire and Humber for a young person seeking asylum’[6]: this project focused on young people who arrived in the UK unaccompanied in order to seek asylum here. The main objective of the research was to hear what it is like for them to live in Yorkshire and Humber, and what could potentially improve their experience. Recommendations which would help with their integration and overall community cohesion included opportunities to socialise with peers through youth organisations, offering a choice of activities and learning opportunities, and volunteering opportunities tailored to young people's interests, enabling them to meet new people, learn English and fulfil their potential.

Opinion polls

23. Migration Yorkshire has commissioned three opinion polls in recent years to improve our understanding of public opinion in Yorkshire and Humber in relation to various aspects of migration (further information is available online about the opinion poll in 2020 - this short video summarises the results and there was related media coverage - and the poll in 2023). The results and conclusions most relevant to this inquiry are summarised below.

• People in Yorkshire and Humber are more likely than not to think migration has had a positive impact on the UK, but views have become more negative between 2020 and 2023 polls (the proportion of people saying migration has had a positive impact fell from 49% to 40%. The proportion saying the impact has been negative, increased from 30% to 38%). In 2023, when asked if their views about migration have changed in the last couple of years, people were more likely to say they have become more negative (35%) than positive (16%), although most commonly people said that their views haven’t changed (46%). Our results are broadly in line with national trends and mirror a recent dip in national attitudes; while public attitudes to migration have generally warmed since 2015, there has been a recent fall in positive views (Rolfe et al, 2023, pp.9-10)).[7] Some commentators see recent political and public discourse as a factor in this change, particularly in relation to people seeking asylum and small boat arrivals (ibid., p.8).
• The groups most likely to think migration has had a positive impact on the UK in the 2023 poll were people born outside the UK (72%), people with a non-white ethnic background (65%), people educated to degree level or above (58%), people aged between 18 and 34 (52%), and people living in city centres (48%) or inner city areas (47%).
• People in Yorkshire and Humber are less likely to think that migration has a positive impact at a local community level, than for the UK. In our 2023 poll, 35% of people said migration had had a positive impact on their local community, compared with 40% seeing a positive impact at national level. However, people were also less likely to say there was a negative impact, with 34% seeing a negative impact at a local level, compared with 38% nationally. Respondents were more likely to give a neutral response about the local impact; 30% compared with 22% in the question about national impact. We can’t give a definitive reason why responses might be less positive in relation to local communities, but one possibility is that the well-evidenced net economic gains from migration at the national level (not just from migrant-specific charges like the health surcharge or visa fees but also from income tax) aren’t felt at the neighbourhood level because they become subsumed into the national pot rather than being directly fed into local services. We know from the Communities up Close project that the local economic context is a critical factor in how localities respond to migration, particularly in places that have struggled to overcome industrial decline plus austerity. At a time when residents are struggling with the cost of living and other challenges, this tests the capacity of communities to adapt to change and make time for new neighbours.
• Respondents in the 2020 poll could give a free text response to the question ‘What do you see as the main impact of migration on your local community?’ Among the responses which identified negative impacts, the most common themes were services/resources, employment, and crime. Of the comments relating to the impact on services/resources, 40% related to housing. The most common positive themes highlighted by respondents were diversity, and employment.
• In 2023, people saw Yorkshire and Humber as more welcoming than they did in 2020 (57% of people thought our region is welcoming to refugees and people seeking asylum, compared with 46% in 2020. Only 26% said our region is not welcoming, down from 33% in 2020). In 2020 exactly half of Yorkshire residents felt it's partly their responsibility to welcome new migrant neighbours (while 39% didn’t).
• Social interaction between migrants and the rest of the community appears to have increased in recent years in Yorkshire and Humber – in our 2023 poll people were more likely to say they often speak with migrants living in their community than in the previous poll (16% compared with 11%). However, there is still much potential to increase social connections within communities; in 2023, 28% said they ‘rarely or never’ interact with migrants. It’s encouraging that people recognise there are potentially positive effects of migration, but socio-cultural contributions could be much stronger if local residents found ways to interact and build relationships. This poll result chimes with the qualitative research findings of the Communities up Close project described earlier, which recognise the loss of community spaces in recent years and the value of promoting social contact at the local level to facilitate integration. This is particularly important in certain types of ‘tight-knit’ neighbourhoods where there can be higher expectations of newcomers to actively participate in the community.
• In Yorkshire and Humber we have a good base on which to build more integrated, inclusive communities: in the 2020 poll 41% agreed that migrants already are well integrated in the local community, slightly more than those thinking migrants were not well integrated (38%). In terms of support for integration, there was support for asylum seekers being given the opportunity to learn English while waiting for the outcome of their asylum claim, with 62% responding positively to this. Yorkshire residents are also more likely than not to agree that asylum seekers should be allowed to work (45% agreed it would be better for both people seeking asylum and for wider society if asylum seekers were permitted to work while they are waiting for a decision on their application to remain in the UK as a refugee, while 29% disagreed). Just over half (51%) agreed that refugees and people seeking asylum have useful skills and experience to contribute to the UK workforce. These results suggest that Yorkshire and Humber residents recognise the importance of opportunities for integration, and the potential contribution of refugees and asylum seekers.
• There’s a willingness among Yorkshire and Humber residents to support people seeking sanctuary. In 2023, 54% agreed Yorkshire and the Humber should host its fair share of the UK's refugees (i.e. in proportion to its total population). Around a fifth of respondents said they would consider hosting a refugee for a minimum of six months (19%) and a similar proportion would consider fostering a child refugee who has arrived alone in the UK seeking asylum (21%). Close to half of respondents said they would like to support refugees in another way (47%). Overall, a majority (54%) said yes to one of these options. In a 2020 poll, 49% agreed the UK should continue to offer protection to those seeking sanctuary as refugees after the end of the Brexit transition period, compared with 25% who disagreed. When asked to read an extract from a newspaper article about an asylum seeker spending Christmas in a hotel, 47% of people said they feel sympathetic, compared with 37% who did not. There was support for family reunion, with 60% of residents agreeing that lone child refugees whose journey has taken them to Europe should be allowed to join family in the UK.

What are the primary barriers and threats to community cohesion? 

Social connections toolkit

24. As described earlier IPPR, in partnership with Migration Yorkshire, developed a toolkit to support people working with refugee, migrant and receiving communities in Yorkshire and Humber to build the foundations for meaningful social connections and promote social cohesion. The toolkit identified the following barriers to social connection:

• Structural barriers, such as the cost of accessing events (especially for people seeking asylum), fears of racism or prejudice, and the dominance of concerns about issues like housing, welfare and immigration status. Busy lives and competing priorities deplete people’s energy and time to engage. Bureaucratic processes and challenges accessing funding are also factors.
• Individual and relational barriers including language, low confidence and a lack of trust in authority. Worries about family outside the UK can be predominant concerns for some, and past and ongoing trauma can also prevent people engaging in social activities.
• Place-based barriers such as unaffordable, infrequent and inaccessible public transport, and a lack of local activities. There aren’t enough community spaces, and public spaces don’t always feel safe or welcoming.
• Design barriers, for example communities not hearing information about activities in their area. People can feel they don’t have a stake in decision-making about their communities, and activities don’t always meet their preferences (for example some asylum-seeking men said they would prefer activities to help develop skills, rather than events for ‘sharing their culture’).

The asylum system

25. In our assessment, the continued use of hotels to house asylum seekers can undermine community cohesion. The use of hotels is expensive, can be unpopular with local communities and has a damaging impact on those seeking asylum. In hotels asylum seekers are denied agency, unable to cook for themselves, reliant on charities and can feel trapped and unable to move forward with their lives. It also makes them vulnerable to protests and riots as we saw during summer 2024 in places such as Rotherham. Local communities can feel they are not being listened to with the continued use of such hotel accommodation for this purpose. The dispersal model allowing asylum seekers to be based within communities is more conducive to community cohesion.

How can social media impact community cohesion?

26. In our experience, social media can be a helpful tool in promoting community cohesion but it can also be a barrier. For example, we recently ran a social media campaign aiming to recruit more hosts for the Homes for Ukraine scheme. While some comments were positive and welcoming, others were negative and hostile and prompted us to turn off comments. Such negative responses on social media can create an impression that these represent the views of local communities, whereas we know from our regional opinion polls that people are generally more likely to view migration positively than not. On the other hand, we have found that social media can help connect people and create networks of support, such as a grassroots group which formed through social media to support recent Ukrainian arrivals in a Yorkshire town.
27. The language used by the previous government and subsequently in the media impacted on the public perception of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Introduction of policies through the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda Act contributed towards certain portrayals of refugees and asylum seekers in the media with the potential for a negative impact on community cohesion. In responses to an opinion poll commissioned by Migration Yorkshire in 2023, those whose views on migration had become more negative were asked why, and a number of people attributed this to media coverage, with one individual referencing ‘the constant negative feed from the media’.
28. There have been many cases of protests at asylum hotels, including the riots of summer 2024, often fuelled by social media misinformation and disinformation. There are cases of asylum seekers and refugees being targeted in ‘migrant hunter’ videos appearing on social media. Local authorities feed back that refugees are left distressed by claims around criminality, motivations around arrival, or their financial circumstances. Whilst refugees are agents in their own integration, communities also have responsibility to facilitate a welcoming environment that allows refugees to thrive. Where leaders and the media are constructive in their response to refugees it can galvanise communities into positive action (as seen by the housing offers for Ukrainian arrivals). However, the politicisation of refugee policy is not always conducive to the multidirectional process of refugee integration and ultimately community cohesion as a whole.

What can be done at a local and national level to improve community cohesion?

29. Strong, constructive national leadership on migration, integration and community cohesion is critical for encouraging cohesion, rather than division, from the national to the local scale. In 2023 Migration Yorkshire submitted a response to the Commission on the Integration for Refugees, contributing to the report: ‘From Arrival to Integration: Building Communities for Refugees and for Britain’. We called for the development of a UK-wide, government-led, long-term refugee integration strategy to enable government to fully identify gaps and develop policies that address the holistic nature of refugee integration.
30. Our 2022 regional refugee integration strategy, ‘Making Connections, Building Resilience’ enabled the Yorkshire and Humber region to look at cross-sectoral priorities in supporting refugee integration as well as explore a range of topics like the role of employers, social connections and isolation in communities, which could be explored at a national policy level. The strategy informs our work to support integration in the region, but without further resources and national leadership, there will always be limits to what can be achieved.
31. Migration Yorkshire runs a Regional Refugee Integration Forum bringing together over 40 leaders and stakeholders from a range of sectors in the region. These include representatives of local authorities, voluntary and community sector, home office, employment, education, housing, police, health and wellbeing, arts and culture, sport and leisure and those with lived experience as refugees. The Forum meets quarterly with the aim of bringing the Regional Refugee Integration Strategy and Forum action plan to life, by:

• Developing a whole society approach to refugee integration in Yorkshire and Humber
• Ensuring refugee voices are heard and reflected in the work of the Forum
• Raising awareness of current key issues relating to refugee integration
• Raising the profile of refugee integration across the region, and nationally.

32. Statements from Forum members include:

• Duncan Wells, Head of Resettlement at Refugee Council in this Meet the Forum video said: “the Forum is a great opportunity to connect and build partnerships...it’s more important than ever that there is a strategic and united response to supporting refugees in our communities”.
• Mehrun Ahmed, Co-CEO of Football Unites Racism Divides (FURD) stated in this Meet the Forum video: “sport can play a huge part in bringing communities together…ease isolation and loneliness” and as a member of the Forum she was able to share FURD’s knowledge base with other members to be replicated in communities across the region.

33. There is a notable lack of integration support available to asylum seekers through the government asylum contracts, as well as limited support for different groups of recognised refugees and other new arrivals making their home in Yorkshire and Humber. We would encourage government to build on previous national approaches, including resources (such as the Migration Impacts Fund and the Controlling Migration Fund) and services that were provided to support refugee integration including the Refugee Integration and Employment Service (RIES). Previous significant funding streams through the EU, that we used to provide a similar ‘Refugee Integration Service’ across the 15 local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber, have also been withdrawn. Other relevant, government funded initiatives (such as the Refugee Transitions Outcomes Fund (RTOF) and place-based local authority officers) tend to be short-term and thus lack sustainability and risk disengagement. The withdrawal of all these funding streams and a lack of equivalent alternative has had a huge impact on the ability of local authorities and the refugee and migrant sector to support local integration processes, and therefore there have been too many lost opportunities to build stronger local communities.
34. We’d encourage parity across all refugee support schemes so that refugees arriving as asylum seekers, on a resettlement programme or another ‘safe and legal route’ are provided with a similar package of integration support, rights and entitlements and conditions in the UK. This would mean that all refugees are given the same tools to rebuild their lives and thrive in the UK, and hopefully with similar outcomes in education and employment. Central government must consider how to better coordinate multiple funding programmes with differing instructions for local authorities. Consideration of merging all refugee integration programmes would be beneficial.

What examples are there of best practice which has positively impacted community cohesion?

Managing cohesion issues at a site for resettled refugees

35. As part of our regional strategic migration partnership role, Migration Yorkshire facilitates and encourages coordination between stakeholders managing cohesion issues relating to accommodation for asylum seekers and resettled refugees. For example, in relation to a Ministry of Defence base in North Yorkshire; refugee families have been resettled there since summer 2023 both in ‘transitional’ and ‘settled’ accommodation. Some families have experienced incidences of anti-social behaviour which have been addressed by collaboration between the local authority, police (in some incidents) and the voluntary and community sector organisation delivering support. When the transitional site was initiated, the local authority convened multi-agency meetings across all sectors (health, police, education, school admissions etc.) to both inform of the plans and discuss any concerns. These meetings continue but are now held less frequently given the fact the site is running well. Some local residents were initially concerned about refugees moving in and the impact this would have on local services (GP and dentists). The local authority called an in-person community meeting and invited residents to discuss their concerns; these were appeased and the local authority reports that no further issues have been raised by the local community.

Community events and activities

36. Migration Yorkshire has a wealth of experience of coordinating events and initiatives to bring people together from different backgrounds, providing opportunities for people to make new social connections and learn about different cultures and practices.
37. The Yorkshire Integration Festival is an annual event. In recent years these festivals have taken place in Leeds, Sheffield and Halifax. They celebrate the contribution of all communities and cultures in our region to make Yorkshire and Humber a special and vibrant place to live, work or study. The most recent festival welcomed around 14,500 people. At each event Migration Yorkshire coordinates transport and support to enable people from refugee communities from across Yorkshire and Humber to attend – well over 1,000 at the 2024 festival. Music artists from many genres have been featured on our main stage, alongside dance and spoken word performances. Most recently, the Festival included a special appearance by Little Amal, as part of her journey to share stories and raise awareness on behalf of refugees and people seeking asylum. The Festivals also provide space for showcasing arts, crafts, exhibitions and food from around the world, as well as a space for small, migrant-background businesses to promote and sell their products. By showcasing the contribution that communities bring to our region, we aim to provide space for better understanding and learning between them.
38. Other events and activities providing opportunities for people from a migrant background to share aspects of their culture with longer-term residents, enhancing mutual understanding and enabling new social connections, include:

• Great Get Together events (2024): Migration Yorkshire worked with The Jo Cox Foundation to run events across the Yorkshire and Humber region enabling migrants and refugees to make meaningful connections with their local communities. Events included: a tea party in Wakefield for the Hong Konger community, ‘Primavera Latina’ gathering organised by people from different Latin American countries living in Leeds and a day trip to Scarborough for refugees and asylum seekers living in Leeds and Wakefield. Zoe Cumberland, Head of Community Programmes at The Jo Cox Foundation said: ‘We were delighted by the variety of event ideas that people came up with and the willingness of community members and organisations to collaborate to make these events happen … which all helped people to make new connections, inspired by Jo Cox’s ‘more in common’ message.’
• Calverley Old Hall (2024): an event in partnership with the Landmark Trust inviting the local community and recent migrants to see the newly renovated hall, and to take part in a cultural craft exchange. Activities were delivered by members of Migration Yorkshire’s Hong Kong and Ukraine advisory panels, and there was an opportunity to learn traditional UK crafts. In feedback, participants agreed that they met people they wouldn’t otherwise have met, and enjoyed learning about crafts from other cultures.
• The Hong Kong Story (2024): an event held in a shopping centre as part of Hong Kong March (a month-long cultural festival) where HongKongers shared food, games, activities and performances with members of the public. HongKongers involved said this kind of event helps them connect with the local community. A local resident said, ‘the Hong Kong community showed just how much their culture and traditions can add to the local community, which is beneficial for everyone!’
• A visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2023) which brought together members of our Hong Kong and Ukraine advisory panels for a day of activities which provided an opportunity for participants to meet people from different backgrounds, enhancing mutual understanding.
• The 'Hong Kong Add Oil' project (2023) involved recipe sharing, tasting, voting, workshops, art exhibitions, and cookbook publication across the Yorkshire and Humber region. The events attracted over 300 participants, including many local people, helping to facilitate connections between migrants and host communities. As well as encouraging newly arrived Hong Kongers to reach out to their wider communities, it also encouraged local communities to experience a cultural exchange with Hong Kong via shared activities.

Storytelling about refugee experiences

39. Migration Yorkshire recognises the importance of providing opportunities for the general public to increase their awareness of the realities of migration, and help promote constructive and informed discussions, particularly in relation to people seeking sanctuary. An effective way of achieving this is through storytelling, as stories of individual experiences can be contextualised within communities, personalising the issue of migration (which is so often presented in in the abstract or in a dehumanising way). The following paragraphs provide examples of our work in this area.
40. In 2018 we commissioned ‘How to be Lucky’, an interactive workshop and play created by An Invisible Man theatre, that explores the journeys, experiences and realities of Syrian refugees settling in the UK, with a principal character of Anwar, a Syrian man. Around 3,000 students at more than 20 schools saw the play in 2019 and 2020, and the play has been performed at public theatres across the region.
41. Students completed a survey before and after watching the performance, and results showed that after seeing the play:

• Students were less likely to think that the UK takes in a very high proportion of refugees, compared to other countries.
• Students were much more likely to say they knew the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee.
• Nearly all students said that they found Anwar’s story engaging and that it would make them think differently about what refugees have gone through to get here.

42. These comments from students illustrate the impact of the play:

• ‘It changed my mind about refugees.’
• ‘It made me realise why people leave their home country to seek safety. It has been explained brilliantly.’
• ‘Nobody really tells you that it’s like that. It’s horrible what happens to people and we should definitely do more to help people like them.’

43. Further storytelling outputs relating to refugee integration tell how people who have been granted refugee status are settling into life here and how their communities are welcoming and adapting to them. The stories portray a mix of success and challenges during this integration journey, and provide research evidence for ways in which the latter can be addressed.

• Seven digital stories produced by young people seeking sanctuary as part of research exploring their experiences.
• Pen drawings: ‘Sketches of hope, stairways, trees and more: building new lives in Yorkshire and Humber’ produced by research participants for the ‘Living the weathers and other stories’ study[8] that tell something about the relationship between themselves and the new cities, towns and villages they came to inhabit in Yorkshire and Humber.
• Drawings and sewn ‘hospitality maps’ produced by participants in the Everyday co-living project, exploring the experiences of hosts and guests in the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
• ‘Migration to Yorkshire and Humber’ infographics; two giant, colourful migration timelines together tell the story of migration to Yorkshire and Humber from 1999 to 2023, presenting key policy, practice, news and community developments in an engaging format (the content of the timelines is available to view on our website).

44. The University of Huddersfield has produced storytelling outputs as part of a partnership with Migration Yorkshire:

• ‘Transitions: A story of refugee lives’: a comic telling stories of people’s experiences after being granted refugee status. The stories presented reflect the experiences the researchers heard from refugees during the study ‘Homeward bound - the housing transitions of refugees’.
• An interactive documentary - in ‘Homeward Bound’ the viewer can watch interviews with refugees and people working for organisations that provide support for refugees, by navigating virtual spaces constructed with furniture and objects from the homes of refugees who participated in the research. The short film ‘Right Here’ brings together some of the contributions to the documentary.

Training about migration for service providers

45. Migration Yorkshire’s training programme is designed to inform people of migration policy and processes. Over 12,000 people have attended sessions which have been delivered for more than a decade. The training improves understanding and awareness about migration for those who encounter people with a migrant background as part of their roles. Most recipients are local authority staff and elected members although we have also been commissioned by other, mainly public sector, organisations. Training sessions aim to promote cohesion and foster compassion and empathy, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
46. Feedback is consistently very positive and indicates the training does improve awareness. There are indications that for some learners the content has acted as a counter to some media representations of migration; for example, one participant said: ‘It gave me a better understanding of the migrant journey and the reality, compared to the media/public perceptions,’ while a Communications Officer said: ‘It will allow me to make better informed choices in language and also affect my skill set and knowledge.’

Employability support for new arrivals

47. Connecting Opportunities was a Building Better Opportunities project delivered from 2017 to 2023 that supported 1,875 new migrants towards employment and integration. It was jointly funded by the Big Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund and delivered across Leeds City Region by a partnership of 10 VCSOs, led by Migration Yorkshire. The programme offered a holistic model of support to all types of migrants. Its main aim was to support the most marginalised and vulnerable new migrants and empower them to enter the job market and become fully integrated into the UK. It is a good example of the type of intervention which can help new arrivals to adapt to life in the UK and flourish, thereby supporting social cohesion. The end of project evaluation illustrates impact such as 66% having increased confidence in English language, 27% finding work, 25% making new friends, and 21% feeling more integrated into British society. The programme had particular success in supporting women, with 71% exiting into education or training. One participant said ‘I joined CO through one of my friends. It helped me to connect with different people, learn about the culture as the culture here is very different.’
48. Migration Yorkshire has also been involved in other employability and employer engagement initiatives, such as a recent Migrant Women in Business project, as well as producing relevant guides on employment and volunteering.

Sharing good practice across the voluntary and community sector

49. Migration Yorkshire runs an annual engagement day for key regional partners in the voluntary and community sector to connect, discuss current issues and share knowledge and best practices. The 2024 event was focussed on cohesion, with a guest speaker from Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance discussing everyday approaches to cohesion. Initial findings from research on migrant experiences of antisocial behaviour were presented and discussed (see more detail on this research earlier in this submission). Partners reflected on their work on cohesion, how they know it's working and what they want to do more of. People stressed the need for public spaces and infrastructure to enable people across the community to physically come together and highlighted the positive connections built over shared interests such as sport, food, music, volunteering and family events. As set out in our regional refugee integration strategy, ‘Making Connections and Building Resilience’, the voluntary and community sector has a key role in supporting integration, but its capacity is limited by a lack of sustainable funding.

How should community cohesion be best approached in schools?

Children and Families Wellbeing Support Service

50. The Children and Families Wellbeing Support Service is an example of a successful approach to supporting refugee school-age children and their families, in relation to the impact of previous trauma. The service provides specialist refugee child and family therapy to resettled refugee children and their families in Yorkshire and Humber. The service was established as a pilot by Migration Yorkshire in 2018 as a way of addressing the mental health and wellbeing needs of refugee children and their families who have been resettled in the Yorkshire and Humber region. Initially there were a number of inappropriate PREVENT referrals, when children were drawing or presenting with concerning images/behaviour, based on the trauma of displacement that they’d experienced. The service works directly with children and families, but also with teachers and school staff, to help raise awareness of the challenges faced by refugee children in the UK. The service aims to help increase awareness and understanding of refugee children and their families, working across organisations to help reduce misconceptions and stereotypes.