Strategic Migration Group [SMG]

What is the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Migration Group?

The Strategic Migration Group [SMG] is the main cross-sector advisory group of Migration Yorkshire. SMG is the forum where local authorities, statutory agencies and the voluntary sector get together to discuss how migration in all of its forms impacts on our region, providing strategic leadership and coordination.

Central Government provides funding to Migration Yorkshire to develop and support an effective SMG - what is often described as our ‘enabling role’. This gives Government, and the UK Border Agency as its main agency, a point of contact to have a single strategic conversation with local authorities and others about the management and impact of migration in all of its forms.

What does the SMG do?

The SMG has three main functions:

To ensure that local partners and other bodies fully understand the way in which migration is impacting – both positively and negatively.
To help shape emerging national policy to make sure it reflects the needs of local authorities and other stakeholders in our region – particularly on issues relating to national asylum policy.
To provide a link between localities and central Government to improve local delivery – providing tailored briefings to local authorities and encouraging and maintaining the development of local 'multi agency groups', which coordinate and support delivery at a local authority level.

What are its key priorities for this year?

This year, there will be a focus on:

Making sure the views of organisations working in the region are understood and reflected by national Government and are reflected in policy.
Ensuring that national, regional and local strategies understand and respond to the changing nature of the region’s population.
Supporting the provision of local services for migrants by sharing effective ways of working across different areas.
Influencing and shaping the way that local services are delivered to migrants, and making sure the impacts on host populations are understood and acted upon.
Monitoring and managing the way asylum seekers are housed, by sharing information on the impact and implications of asylum dispersal.
Supporting local level integration work.
Supporting local partnership arrangements in a way that directly supports delivery.

How does it work?

SMG normally meets quarterly. There’s also a range of groups and networks that take work forward on behalf of SMG – on issues such as migrant health and refugee integration. The primary purpose of these groups is to provide opportunities for practitioners to share knowledge and experience, with the ultimate aim to improve services at a local level. When called on, they also advise SMG on specific issues relating to their area of expertise.

Who are its members?

Members of SMG are drawn from local government, the voluntary sector and statutory agencies. The Chair of SMG also chairs the Local Authority Commission on Asylum and Migration [LACAM]. Current membership is:

Humber Sub Region (member and officer representation)
North Yorkshire and York Functional Sub Region (member and officer representation)
South Yorkshire Sub Region (member and officer representation)
West Yorkshire Sub Region (member and officer representation)
Health sector
Migrant workers representatives
Overseas students/higher education representative
Police
UK Border Agency
Voluntary/community sector representatives

Key points from the most recent SMG meeting

Find out what happened at the SMG meeting in November 2011 by downloading this document:

Summary of key points from the Strategic Migration Group meeting 3 November 2011 [143 - pdf format]

SMG terms of reference

SMG terms of reference [34 KB - pdf]

More information

Please contact:

Rob Warm, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Manager
Tel 0113 395 2432
Email robert.warm@migrationyorkshire.org.uk

Nicola Baylis, Executive Services Officer
Phone: 0113 395 2449
Email: nicola.baylis@migrationyorkshire.org.uk