Strategic Migration Group [SMG]

What is the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Migration Group?

The Strategic Migration Group [SMG] is the main policy and advisory group of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership. SMG provides strategic leadership and coordination for the region on migration issues – it’s the place where local authorities, statutory agencies and the voluntary sector get together to discuss how migration in all of its forms impacts on our region.

Central Government provides funding to the Partnership 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.
Influencing and shaping the way that 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 often does it meet?

SMG normally meets quarterly. Between meetings, a range of standing subgroups and task and finish groups drive work forward, on a range of issues.

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:

Leeds City Region [member and officer representation]
Sheffield City Region [member and officer representation]
Hull and Humber Ports City Region [member and officer representation]
North Yorkshire and York Functional Sub Region [member and officer representation]
UK Border Agency
Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber
Police
Health sector
Migrant workers representative
Overseas students representative
Voluntary / community sector representatives

Key points from the most recent SMG meeting

Find out what happened at the most recent SMG meeting by downloading this document:

Summary of key points from the Strategic Migration Group meeting 3 June 2010 [29 KB - pdf format]

More information

Please contact:

Rob Warm, 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