What you need to know

It may appear daunting at first to focus on the many levels of participation, not to mention to understand the challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers (particularly in the context of increasingly restrictive immigration and asylum policies).

Refugees experience multiple barriers to engaging with services. A focus on reducing these barriers is a useful template for developing participation. To reflect on existing practices, gaps, and opportunities. 

Personal barriers

Refugees are not a homogeneous group, and one-size-fits-all approaches may exclude some refugees from participation; opportunities need to be tailored to the needs and circumstances of individual refugees, with consideration being given to factors such as gender, age, faith, health (including mental health), disability, place of residence, as well as professional, educational, and other backgrounds. Remember that each refugee is unique and cannot by defined by a wider migration experience.

Cultural barriers

While many refugees are motivated to participate, some common UK practices may not be appealing to people from some other national backgrounds. For instance, different societies have different perceptions of volunteering time, and many countries from where refugees come from do not have a culture of participation in public life. Past and present experiences of dealing with authorities (including the police and security services, local and national government, and immigration authorities) can affect participation, especially when initiatives are seen as politically motivated.

• Stigma may sometimes be attached to participation when someone is perceived as a collaborating with the authorities; this may even affect how some refugee communities interact with organisations that are not associated with a local or national governments.
• Different countries and cultures have different attitudes to time and punctuality, so specific guidance and support should be provided to participants.

Financial barriers

Similarly to volunteering, unpaid participation opportunities (especially when accessed regularly) may create additional burdens on some individuals who have less financial independence. Many refugees have precarious jobs, making it difficult for them to access opportunities. If services and organisations don’t plan adequately for the costs associated with participation, they not only risk excluding a large number of refugees, but may also lose credibility and accountability, and have their reputation damaged in the eyes of refugees. 

Political barriers

These are usually linked to the insecure nature of the immigration status of asylum seekers and, to a lesser extent, refugees (sometimes even British passport holders). Those going through the asylum process may fear consequences to their applications, but even refugees who do not have indefinite right to remain in the UK may be less willing to voice their opinions and concerns. This is a tricky barrier for local stakeholders who have limited to no influence over immigration and asylum policy to tackle. However, as a rule, building trust and providing refugees with leverage can make participation more accessible and impactful.

Social barriers

Power dynamics within refugee communities may affect the accurate representation of diverse views within them. Participation processes and structures tend to be more accessible to people with certain skills or experience, and who may use the space to express their views because of lack of other routes of engagement where they can share concerns. Although many participants succeed in acting as effective spokespeople, it is also essential to provide opportunities to those who lack the ability to express their views.

• The hostile environment to migrants in the UK, including negative perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers in much of the UK media are also a barrier; however, as highlighted before, participation has the potential to foster cohesion in communities.
• Social isolation, discrimination, community tensions, and hate crime are also powerful barriers to participation, as they undermine trust and the feeling of safety

Overcoming barriers to refugee participation

One productive way to help you start on your journey to develop refugee participation is to recognise and reflect on the barriers.

Developing fully accessible and inclusive participation is a major challenge for services and organisations, especially when you are doing it from scratch. On the other hand, the benefits of participation outweigh the challenges and costs involved in developing it. 

Practical tips

• Different levels of language proficiency and digital skills need to be factored in when developing participation opportunities, which may involve allowing more time and resource for interpreting and translation.
• The places and times where and when activities occur may constitute barriers due to individual characteristics and circumstances (e.g. religious commitments, travel distances and costs).
• Lack of alternative childcare could be an unsurmountable barrier to many refugee women. 

Suggested actions

• Using either service data or your experience, create a list of all the different categories of refugees that your service or organisation work with, using a range of criteria (age, gender, nationality, occupation, marital status, etc., but also things like level of immigration status, or English language proficiency – sometimes recorded as ESOL level). Identify the likely barriers to participation that each of these categories of refugees may experience – this exercise will help you develop more inclusive and effective opportunities and practices later.
• Think about the potential costs associated with eliminating or reducing many of those barriers. They will of course depend also on the type of activities that will be planned and implemented; however, you should still factor in costs such as childcare and transport to ensure inclusivity. You will soon start building your refugee participation budget.