New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy

We believe that refugees and asylum seekers should be welcomed, supported, and integrated into our communities from day one. This commitment has been realised through three successive New Scots Refugee Integration Strategies.

Third New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2024

In March 2024, COSLA, the Scottish Government, and Scottish Refugee Council published the third New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy. This was the result of three years of research and consultation, conducted under the New Scots Refugee Integration Delivery Project (NSRIDP). Some of the research and consultations from NSRIDP are summarised in these documents about the consultations and the NSRIDP projects.

In June 2024, the partnership published the first annual Delivery Plan (2024-5) under the new Strategic Framework. The plan outlines specific actions through which we will achieve the overarching outcomes of the third New Scots Integration Strategy.

Second New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018-22

In 2018 COSLA, Scottish Government and Scottish Refugee Council published a second New Scots Strategy building on the learning and success of the first. In preparation for the development of the strategy, a consultation was undertaken with refugees, asylum seekers and stakeholders. The full report can be found here

The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy 2018-2022 set out a vision for a welcoming Scotland where refugees and asylum seekers are able to rebuild their lives from the day they arrive.

The strategy committed to better access to essential services such as education, housing, health and employment. It recognises the skills, knowledge and resilience which refugees bring and aims to help people to settle, become part of the community, and pursue their ambitions.