Skip to main content

Language: English / Gàidhlig

Main navigation
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Asylum Seekers in Scotland

Background

The Committee undertook an inquiry on asylum seekers in Scotland. While housing asylum seekers is a reserved matter, the Committee wanted to understand:

  • what rights asylum seekers in Scotland have
  • what public resources are available to asylum seekers
  • the experiences of people seeking, granted and refused asylum

To get this understanding, the Committee focused its inquiry on:

  • the impact of current Home Office policy and legislation on asylum seekers in Scotland
  • the impact of the current system on local communities and race relations
  • the role of local and devolved government
  • the role of private contractors
  • the most effective use of public funding

The Committee heard from groups representing asylum seekers and communities where asylum seekers live.

It also heard from:

  • charities and community organisations supporting asylum seekers
  • human rights organisations
  • public authorities with a responsibility for asylum seekers in Scotland

Engagement

Other ways the Committee heard views and experiences

The Committee held private informal engagement sessions with those with lived experience to help inform the inquiry.  The first session took place at Maryhill Integration Network, Glasgow on 6 June 2023 and the second was held at the Scottish Parliament on 13 June 2023, both supported by external organisations.

Notes from 6 June 2023 engagement session

English for speakers of other languages/interpreters (103KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Health, including mental health (100KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Housing and hotel accommodation (100KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Mothers and babies (112KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Transport (96KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Notes from 13 June engagement session

Group 1 Notes from engagement with Tigrinya speakers (English version) (99KB, pdf) posted 09 October 2023

Group 1 Notes from engagement with Tigrinya speakers (Tigrinya version) (145KB, pdf) posted 09 October 2023

Group 2 Notes from engagement with Farsi speakers (English version) (97KB, pdf) posted 09 October 2023

Group 2 Notes from engagement with Farsi speakers (Farsi version) (204KB, pdf) posted 09 October 2023

Group 3 Notes from engagement with Arabic and Somali speakers (English version) (91KB, pdf) posted 09 October 2023

Group 3 Notes from engagement with Arabic and Somali speakers (Arabic version) (138KB, pdf) posted 09 October 2023

Supplementary evidence received following engagement sessions

Building Bridges - a report on the importance of integration and social cohesion for asylum seekers (116KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Friends of Scottish Settlers (284KB, pdf) posted 29 September 2023

Report

The Committee's report, 'The Human Rights of Asylum Seekers in Scotland',  was published on 24 October 2023. You can read the report at the following link:

The Human Rights of Asylum Seekers in Scotland

The Committee received the following response from the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees:

Letter from the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees, 21 February 2024

Correspondence

Back to Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee