]]> Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/news/general/46 The bulletin updates Migration Impacts Fund [MIF] projects in Yorkshire and Humber on important developments, and helps to share best practice. Each issue focuses on 1 or 2 local projects - this month we look at the Hull and Northern Refugee Centre projects.

To download your copy, go to www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/mifbulletin

• Consultation event discussion summary - January 2010
• YHRMP consultation response - simplifying immigration law and reforming asylum support - February 2010

The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership is currently seeking a high quality Executive Services Officer to support the work of the Partnership by leading on our governance and secretariat functions across all of our work. This is a part time role, but we are flexible about the precise number of hours.

See our job vacancies page for more information and details of how to apply for the Executive Services Officer post.

The Spring 2010 issue features an article on the forthcoming regional migrant databank, which we'll be using to produce local and regional migration information for Yorkshire and Humber.

To download your copy, go to our publications page.

The briefing was produced by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership.

The start of a new year is a good time to look back at what we have achieved over the past twelve months, and to look forward to the challenges that lie ahead for the Partnership in 2010. It is a particularly good time for me to reflect, given that I came into post as lead officer for the Partnership one year ago, in January 2009. How has the first year been for me?

Well it has been an interesting year, full of new learning and new challenges. I was fortunate enough to inherit a committed and expert team, which has continued to deliver our wide range of functions on behalf of the region. That team remains a key resource for the region, and continues to drive our work forward to an exceptionally high standard.

But I have also brought about some changes within the Partnership:

• We have worked much harder to communicate what we do more clearly to the region – including launching our new website and producing new information packs for members and partners.
• We have worked with our Chair and partner organisations to strengthen our political structures, to provide real political leadership for our work moving forward.
• We have moved to a single structure which understands the work we do as a coherent whole rather than as different ‘bits’.

This has helped us deliver effectively on existing functions, such as the accommodation contract and refugee integration. It has also allowed us to secure new roles and resources – around supporting delivery of the Migration Impacts Fund, and improving the data and intelligence we provide to local authority partners and others.

So what does 2010 hold? Well, there are clearly some challenges ahead. Pressures on public funding mean resources will be tight, and as a public body we have a responsibility to work with government to make sure that we work as efficiently as possible. Working to reduce costs whilst maintaining a high standard of delivery will not be easy. There will also be challenges around the reducing scale of the accommodation contract – with older legacy cases being cleared, and very low numbers of asylum seekers coming into the region. And of course we will be thinking about the shape of the future delivery of asylum services.

More broadly, in terms of our strategic work, some of the changes within the regional and wider economy will also result in shifting patterns of migration into the region and changing populations at a local level. Supporting communities undergoing change, and the cohesion challenges that brings, is something that requires good quality intelligence and data. Supporting partners with this data will be a key priority for 2010.

Within such a rapidly changing policy environment, making accurate predictions is difficult. Add to that the fact that 2010 will see elections at both national and local level which could also have an impact on our work, and it becomes clear that the Partnership will need to be flexible and responsive to changing circumstances. But alongside all that change, one thing is certain. Migration as a political and practical issue is here to stay, and the Partnership will continue play a key role in helping make sure that Yorkshire and Humber understands the potential benefits and challenges that brings to the region.
 

The bulletin updates Migration Impacts Fund [MIF] projects in Yorkshire and Humber on important developments, and helps to share best practice. Each issue will focus on 1 or 2 local projects.

To download your copy, go to www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/mifbulletin

• migration trends for July - September 2009
• migration policy
• themed report summaries

Produced by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership.

To download your copy, go to our Policy briefings section.

This is an online database containing over 130 summaries of research on refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants in the Yorkshire and Humber region. You can search the database using these options:

• migrant group
• theme
• topic
• place

We hope the database will help with disseminating migration research findings and improve evidence-based policy.

You're welcome to link from your website to this resource: please use this link www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/researchdatabase   

]]> Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/news/general/34 Read our Information Pack to find out about more about us - updated November 2009.

The pack includes introductory sheets on:

• Regional Migration Partnership
• Strategic Migration Group
• Public Sector Group
• Refugee Integration Programme
• Refugee Integration and Employment Service
• Migration Impacts Fund
• Our Intelligence and research role
• Our website
• Glossary
• Partnership structure

Go to our publications page to download your copy.

Get your copy of the action plan, as well as a copy of the strategy and other related documents, from the Refugee integration strategy page.

]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/news/general/37 The refugee and asylum seeker consultation in the Yorkshire and Humber region, carried out in 2008 by the Refugee Integration Programme, was the largest consultation of its type in the UK, with 303 questionnaire responses, covering roughly 1% of all refugees and asylum seekers in the region. The consultation contained 30 questions on subjects relating to integration.

The consultation provided a large amount of information and a solid evidence base for developing: ‘Finding Sanctuary, Enriching Yorkshire and Humber: Integration Strategy for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Yorkshire and Humber 2009 - 2011’.

You can find a summary of the consultation responses, as well as a copy of the strategy and other related documents, on the Refugee integration strategy page.

• introducing a new points test for earned citizenship, to better manage the numbers allowed to settle permanently in the United Kingdom
• delivering the earned citizenship system in partnership with local authorities
• supporting those who are on the path to citizenship to integrate into their new communities
• managing the impacts of migration on the developing world

The UKBA consultation closed on 26 October 2009. The Regional Migration Partnership submitted a consultation response on behalf of the Strategic Migration Group [SMG]. You can download this by going to our feedback on past consultations section.

Go to: Find out about...migration statistics

• migration trends [covering new data available, an analysis of quarterly and annual statistics, and related statistical publications]
• migration policy
• themed updates on: communities, cohesion and housing; health; and crime

Produced by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership.

To download your copy, go to our Policy briefings section.

1. Article published on mental health issues in unaccompanied refugee minors.
2. Guidelines for Children's Social Care on handling cases of forced marriage.
3. House of Commons Committee LAC reports mentioning unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

We announced the winner of this year's award in June - find out more about the 3 finalists, and who has the title 'Refugee of the Year 2009', by going to http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/?page=refugeeoftheyear.

The projects being supported by MIF in Yorskshire and Humber have just been announced.

Go to Migration Impacts Fund in Yorkshire and Humber to find out more.

Local Authorities across the region today welcomed announcements of substantial Government funding to help deal with the impact of migration in the region.

The announcement confirms funding of £3m for Yorkshire and Humber, to help Local Authorities, and others, deal with the additional pressure that migration can put on public services. Frontline service providers have already identified the projects in their area that will make the biggest difference in helping them and local people deal with the impact of migration.

This funding has been generated by charging economic migrants and students from outside the EU an additional levy on their visa applications – creating a national ‘pot’ of £70m over two years. This means that, as well as taxation, migrants are paying an additional contribution to support the communities within which they are going to live.

Local Authorities in this region are focusing on using the funding to help services most affected by legal migration - particularly housing, public health, children and young people, and integration.

Cllr Olivia Rowley, Chair of the Regional Migration Partnership said:

'Migration brings significant benefits to our regional economy. However, it also places pressures on local public services – such as health, schools, council services and the police. This funding will support a range of local innovative projects which will help tackle this head on.'

Local Authority led partnerships developed packages of projects to address the pressures on services legal migration brings. The range of projects was impressive – many areas had schemes to address licensing of private landlords, help with GP registration or provide additional English language classes. There were also schemes to make sure migrants understand British culture, acceptable behaviour and the law, as well as issues such as waste and recycling and the importance of immunising children.

Rob Warm, the Regional Migration Partnership Manager, worked closely with the Regional Government Office on identifying the successful projects. He says:

'The whole panel was deeply impressed by the range and quality of applications. Local Authorities and partners are really taking this opportunity to put in place practical schemes to help address some of the pressures that migration can bring within local communities. We look forward to working with Partners to help them deliver for everyone who lives in the region.'

A summary of all local projects supported will be made publicly available on our website once individual bidders have been informed by Government Office. We anticipate this will be on our website from noon on 10 June 2009.

For more information contact Rob Warm, Regional Migration Partnership on 0113 395 2434.

END
 

NOTES TO EDITORS

1  The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership is a regional organisation which works with national, regional and local government to ensure that the region can deal with, and benefit from, migration. It has 4 key roles:

• As a local authority led partnership we provide strategic leadership and coordination for the region around migration issues
• We work with partners to deliver effective integration of refugees
• We provide central contract management and coordination to deliver the agreement between 10 local authorities in this region and Government for meeting the accommodation needs of asylum seekers.
• We ensure that the region has the information, data and research to make sure that the needs of all migrant groups are met in long term local and regional strategies.

More information about the work of the Partnership can be found on our website at www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk

2  The Migration Impacts Fund is part of a broader set of Government initiatives to help public services respond to migration through specific funding streams for local services and sector support. The fund, which is £70m over two years nationally, will help manage the transitional impacts of migration, raised by requiring certain migrants to make a contribution.

3  The announcement of funding was made today by Communities Secretary John Denham (9 July 2009). The Communities and Local Government press release is on their website at http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1277459

4  In Yorkshire and Humber, the Regional Migration Partnership has agreed to work to help support effective delivery of the fund, working with funded projects to ensure the region gets maximum value out of this investment.

The aim of this new strategy is the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into the Yorkshire and Humber region and its local communities. The strategy sets out a vision for integration and key objectives. It also identifies regional priorities for action under six areas of integration:

• housing
• health
• work and skills
• safety
• community and society
• children and young people

Find out more, and get your copy, from our Refugee integration strategy page.

You can find this document on our publications page.

Our briefing explains how proposals in 2008 for new legislation have been divided into 2 new immigration Bills. The first, the 'Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill' was published in January 2009. The briefing:

• outlines important aspects of the new Bill, including an extended citizenship process
• highlights potential effects upon stakeholders, including local authorities and local communities

You can download the briefing from our policy briefings section.

The LGA report anticipates the effect of the economic downturn upon migrant labour in the UK, and specifically considers different employment sectors such as social care, food industry, and hospitality. It also considers how the new migration rules based on Migration Advisory Committee [MAC] recommendations may affect these sectors. It draws on a range of studies to confirm its findings.

The report confirms widely held understandings of the dominant [economic] reasons for migrant worker movements and the recent reduction in the rate of migrant workers to the UK, particularly those from EU Accession states.

This edition includes:

• a summary of the latest national migration statistics to be published for October - December 2008
• new policies affecting migration into and out of the region
• reports published in the last three months about migration

To download your copy, go to our Policy briefings section.