Strategic integration areas
Table of contents
Families and young people
Most refugees who arrive under resettlement schemes come in family groups, while a significant proportion of asylum seekers are also families. Approximately 10% of all asylum claims are made by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). Additionally, many asylum seekers classed as single persons during the asylum process are reunited with their families after being granted refugee status. Refugees are also likely to have been separated from family members, sometimes for years, so maintaining contact with relatives (or re-establishing contact following family tracing) is crucial to the overall wellbeing and integration of many individuals.
Refugee families integrating into life in the UK need to be supported to understand their rights and responsibilities regarding issues such as safeguarding children, gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, and domestic abuse. Norms in the UK may be different from those in their countries of origin, so it is important refugee families are made aware of this as soon as possible, in a culturally sensitive and non-judgmental way. Early information and education, including peer support, can prevent complex and costly interventions later.
Within refugee families, older refugees might have particular needs to help them adapt to life in the UK and live independently. Parents and carers need to be able to engage with relevant providers of services such as childcare, family support, and relevant legal advice. However, lack of access to suitable childcare can hinder their integration, especially for refugee women who are often the main carers in families.
Access to education is crucial for the integration of refugee children and young people, as soon as possible after arrival in the UK. They can face a number of challenges due to their experiences of forced migration, including breaks in formal education or no previous schooling experience. A significant number of refugee children also have mental health issues such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Schools and colleges can meet the needs of refugee children by ensuring they are safe and welcoming spaces, offering trauma-informed practice, English language support, wellbeing support, effective communication with parents, and monitoring and tackling bullying and hate incidents. Supporting families with digital literacy and connectivity is also essential, especially with a greater reliance on online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the beginning our children were shy and not engaged, but the... sessions as a family helped them to talk. They became confident and free to talk about what was inside them
For unaccompanied young people, successful transitions are key to integration. The age at which UASC arrive in the UK (78% aged 16-17 in 2020) intersects with the timing that children in care prepare for transitions to independence. To aid this process, UASC need wraparound support from children’s services and access to good quality education, mental health services, and placements that meet their needs. Wider opportunities, such as volunteering, employment, training and socialising with peers are also crucial to enabling young people to live life to the full.
Professionals involved in caring for UASC need to be well-trained and knowledgeable so that young people access the right advice and support including legal representation, when they need it. Good and consistent practice around age assessment would ensure children aren’t rushed into independence before they are ready, and a trauma-informed approach would enable professionals and carers to recognise and mitigate the negative impacts of UK immigration processes on a young person’s development and recovery.
Families and young people priorities
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Refugee and asylum-seeking children can access education as soon as possible after arrival in the UK in schools and colleges that are safe and welcoming
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Refugees have access to information, advice and support with family tracing and family reunion
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Refugees and asylum seekers are aware of their rights and responsibilities in the UK regarding issues such as safeguarding children and domestic abuse, and have access to culturally sensitive advice and support services
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Suitable and accessible childcare and other family support services are available to all refugee families and family members who need them
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Young refugees and asylum seekers, including UASC and care leavers, feel safe, supported, and have opportunities to recover, develop and thrive in their new communities