1. Indicators of Integration ‘New Scots’ strategy Alison Strang, QMU &
Paul Matheson,
Police Scotland
and the
‘New Scots’ strategy
Photo by Karen Gordon

2. UK Immigration and Asylum Act, 1999
“Integration is a chaotic concept: a word used by many but understood differently by most” (Robinson 1998)
UK Immigration and Asylum Act, 1999
… introduces the ‘dispersal policy’ resulting in the arrival of asylum seekers in cities such as Glasgow across the UK.

3. Indicators of Integration
Ager & Strang, 2004 & 2008

4. Needs of Dispersed Asylum Seekers
Community and social connections
Needs of Dispersed Asylum Seekers

5. ‘New Scots’, Refugee Integration and Police Scotland
Paul Matheson, Equality & Diversity Advisor

6. Community Safety in ‘New Scots’
‘New Scots’ strategy had 6 thematic groups.
Community Safety was included as a strand within the ‘Communities & Social Connections’ thematic group.

7. Communities & Social Connections group had 4 ‘outcomes’
Refugees are enabled to build social relationships and are involved and active in local communities.
Refugees live in communities that are safe, cohesive and, as a result, are welcoming.
Refugees engage in cultural activities & Scottish cultural life reflects the diversity of Scotland.
Communities across Scotland have a better understanding of refugees & asylum seekers

8. New Scots work by Police & partners
Community engagement includes refugees.
Training those in high-impact roles for Police–refugee community relations.
Recruitment includes refugee communities.
Gender-Based Violence: knowledge, skillsets, sensitive communications around Human Trafficking, FGM, HBV.

9. Learning from 1st New Scots strategy
Police’s educational, supportive role best done in partnership with other agencies:
Guide to Scots Law in 11 languages;
Supporting refugees to sit their driving test.
Police enforcement role tangential to community cohesion (cf. Morrow Report):
‘Fear’ appears in refugee consultation feedback mostly as fear of refugees by ‘host’ population.

10. Wider reflections – evidence challenges unconscious bias
British Red Cross research: religious faith as a protective factor for leaving, enduring, settling.
Asset model: religious faith networks an asset.
Deficit model: religious illiteracy & unconscious negative bias towards religious faith.

11. New Scots Strategy – future aspirations
Adding more social ‘glue’ – sport, faith, culture: ‘Communities, Culture & Social Connections’.
More local engagement with local providers: community planning, equalities partnerships.
Empathy is the priceless ingredient.

12. Police engaging with VPRS refugees

13. Police engaging with UNIS

14. Police & UNIS in Findlay church, Maryhill

15. Working with refugees in Glasgow

16. Any Questions? Any Questions? Now or later? Contact
Tel: