This group works to:

• share knowledge about funding for the refugee sector and asylum, refugee and migration issues
• map funding and identify gaps in funding
• co-ordinate funding for the sector, helping to meet gaps and respond to new needs as they arise
• propose long term, strategic solutions to improve funding to the sector
• be practical rather than just an information sharing group

This group is chaired by Mubin Haq of the City Parochial Foundation.

Next meeting

To be confirmed.

To sign up for regular updates and to receive detailed reports of Asylum, Refugee, Migration Project Group meetings, contact Yvonne

 

Recent meeting highlights

April 2010

A special seminar for funders in London organised in partnership between the Employability Forum and London Funders, this event outlined the current challenges around asylum and refugees highlighting likely changes in the next few years. The meeting looked at the current landscape of the refugee sector and the challenges facing organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers, including patterns of asylum flows, social cohesion issues, the impact of the recession and reductions in public spending. Briefings were also given on the policies of the major parties to help funders understand what could happen after the national election.

Download the Employability Forum's presentation
Download IPPR's presentation
Download the 'Still Human Still Here' presentation

September 2009

This was the first meeting of the group for some time and covered two major topics. Professor Ian Gordon and Kathleen Bradley of the London School of Economics talked about their recent research commissioned by GLA Economics on the economic impact on the London and UK economy of an earned regularisation of irregular migrants. They were examining a diverse group of undocumented migrants who have been living in the UK for some time, some in employment and most unlikely to be deported. Their numbers are not increasing to any extent because of a different operation of UK immigration controls. Some have cases that have been waiting a long time for Home Office decision.

The overall conclusion is that there should be net benefit to the UK economy, and especially to London, if their status was regularised. The Mayor’s proposal is an “earned amnesty” open to irregular residents with a crime-free period of five years in the UK (not legal migrants in breach of visa conditions).

In a short session, the speakers managed to help the group understand the complexity of differentiating and counting eligible groups, and share some insights into the calculation of costs and benefits of a regularisation process – access to benefits and services set against a contribution through taxes and national insurance, a probable lowering of health care costs and many other factors.

Click here for the full report
Click here for the meeting presentation

The Mayor’s Refugee Integration Strategy should be published soon, and this Project Group has been interested in every stage of its development. Dick Williams and Amna Mahmoud of the Greater London Authority’s Immigration and Asylum Unit talked about the new structures to monitor and support the strategy, especially the London Strategic Migration Partnership and Migrant, Refugee and Asylum Seeker Panel.

The Strategy, London Enriched, is specifically about refugees but will be taken forward in a broader context of migration policy for London. It covers housing, employment, skills and enterprise, health, community safety, children and young people, community development and participation, and English language learning. Dick was not able to confirm any details but sketched in core themes and conclusions and promised to remain a part of the Group to help funders understand and relate to the GLA’s ideas.

London Funders has offered to work with the GLA to bring funders together with refugee community organisations and support organisations to review the final strategy and look together at its likely contribution to London and the policy and practical gaps that will remain.
 

November 08

The focus of this meeting was migrants’ rights,
Speakers:

Nicola Smith, Senior Policy Officer for the TUC's Commission on Vulnerable Employment: the Commission’s final report, Hard Work, Hidden Lives, based on work by employers, academics, trades unions and voluntary organisations which resulted in some better enforcement of employment law, and access to advice for exploited employees.

Don Flynn, Director, Migrants Rights Network, highlighted the work of migrants’ groups and recent policy changes including the Government’s move towards a points-based system for work permits.

Austen Ivereigh, Strangers into Citizens, spoke on the campaigning work of his organisation, calling for a one-off regularisation of long-term irregular migrants to the UK. 

September 08

The group focused on migration from the newest EU countries and the health and housing problems experienced by migrants who have fallen out of legal employment arrangements.
Presentations by: Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow, Migration, Equalities and Citizenship, Institute for Public Policy Research and Tanzeem Ahmed and Clare Whiting, Olmec. 

Download a copy of Jill's presentation.
 

June 08

The group looked at recent changes in the provision of English language teaching in London and what funders could do to support the infrastructure of ESOL delivery in London. Presentations by Matthew Bird, Skills Development Manager, Learning and Skills Council and Chris Taylor, Development Officer, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE).  Download Matthew's presentation.

October 07

The group first met in October 2007 to discuss the emerging Greater London Authority strategy on refugee integration, with updates from Richard Stanton and Amna Mahmoud on the extensive consultation undertaken. London Funders hopes to help convene a second joint meeting with voluntary and community organisations on the Mayoral strategy on refugee integration, once the policy has been published.