Briefing Update: Regional Update on Migration and Integration
WMFN held its latest online briefing update on migration and integration in the WM on 23rd March. Contributors were Dally Panesar, Head of WM Strategic Migration Partnership; a local authority led partnership providing local support and strategic leadership to ensure that the WM can respond to and engage with migration. Dally provided some very useful data and statistics on migration nationally and in the region and regular updates of this can be found here. To sign up their regular e-bulletin for the region – Register for our eBulletin
Dally’s contact details: WMSMP@wolverhampton.org.uk to follow up on any specific points.
Andy Hoole, Senior Project Co-ordinator WM Migration Policy and Practice Network shared the first sector assessment report for Birmingham and the Black Country. The Network is a voluntary and community sector led initiative funded by Barrow Cadbury Trust and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. A copy of the executive summary and full report can be found here.
Network consultation meetings with migration and voluntary and community sector agencies in the WM are being held to identify the key issues to priorities under the 4 themes of specialist migration advice; health, opportunities and community on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birmingham-and-black-country-migration-network-tickets-266171123997
Sarah Cutler, Migration Exchange, provided an outline of the key priorities that a group of 15 independent funders have been working together on to support funders and organisations to take effective action on shared concerns. Three key themes have been the focus and approach of their work: funding partners aligning their grants and work to support frontline support in tackling a range of key issues; building a movement to shift from individual organisational working to solidarity on shared and common experience that reflects the lives of those with lived experience, and leadership and language – finding ways to support sector based leadership led by those with lived experience such as the Clore Social Leadership and Centre for Knowledge Equity Partnership.
Sarah has provided a list of links and resources that reflect these 3 key themes and can be found here and can be contacted directly: sarah.cutler@ymail.com
Common to all these contributions and response from participants was concerns over those asylum seekers with NRPF. Emma Birks, Asylum Matters commented that the WMCA has a NRPF Homelessness task group. Emma is happy to be contacted to find out more: emma@asylummatters.org. Also Sarah Cutler, Migration Exchange provided a link to a national NRPF network – https://www.nrpfnetwork.org.uk. Emma Birks, Asylum Matters also provided information on a 2021 report on institutional accommodation and the harm it causes: https://asylummatters.org/2021/12/15/new-joint-report-in-a-place-like-prison-voices-from-institutional-asylum-accommodation/
Research evidence on the needs and issues relating to immigration and asylum was also raised. Claire Stern, Central England Law Centre pointed to research provided by Justice Together Initiative: https://justice-together.org.uk/learning/our-research/
Finally, the briefing was organised prior to the start of the Ukraine and Russia war and the movement of Ukrainian refugees to the UK and introduction of specific government schemes to receive them. Dally Panesar, WMSP provided a link to information on current government guidance and support by WM local authorities: https://www.wmsmp.org.uk/Ukraine/
A link to the Briefing recording can be found here.
