Aims and principles

The aims of this strategy are to:

Consolidate Yorkshire and Humber's leadership in refugee integration
Build on existing strong partnership work and forge new links between the public sector, voluntary organisations, employers, and other stakeholders
Establish refugee integration as a priority in the region through strong leadership
Enable the region to develop effective, innovative, and sustainable refugee integration service, recognising and building on good practice
Increase stakeholders' resilience in a fast and ever-changing policy environment
Help improve integration outcomes for refugees and asylum seekers by drawing attention to social isolation and the need to develop social connections
Develop refugee participation and leadership
Promote awareness of the needs of refugees, and the contributions that they make to communities across the region
Challenge negative and misleading narratives about refugees and asylum seekers through facts and positive stories of integration

The strategy also has some underpinning principles that need to be considered when addressing its strategic priorities:

Everyone in the region, regardless of their immigration or asylum status, should benefit from integration
The language and terminology used to describe refugee and asylum issues can have a positive or negative impact on integration
Refugees and asylum seekers are a diverse group and have multiple identities - being a refugee or asylum seeker is just one part of a persons lived experience
The region should focus on its strengths and assets, and on what it can do to deliver the best integration outcomes for refugees