Scottish Refugee Council was formed in 1985 to provide advice and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers seeking protection in Scotland. The charity has grown considerably since then, and has its headquarters in Glasgow, and outreach work in Edinburgh.
In 1997, Scottish Refugee Council worked with COSLA and Scottish local authorities to change social work legislation, preventing homelessness and destitution for young single asylum seekers. May, 1999 saw an influx of Kosovan refugees to Scotland, as a result of a resettlement agreement with the UNHCR and Scottish Refugee Council was at the forefront in helping Kosovans settle and integrate in Scottish society.
The Immigration and Asylum Act (1999) led to a large increase in the number of asylum seekers being dispersed to Scotland. Scottish Refugee Council offers advice and advocacy to asylum seekers, and is also concerned with issues of settlement and integration for those who have made Scotland their home and can never return to their former countries.
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The work of Scottish Refugee Council can be characterised under four broad headings: direct services to individuals and families; campaigning and public information on refugee issues; community development and volunteering; and networking and partnership-building.
Scottish Refugee Council provides a number of direct services to refugees and asylum seekers. The organization arranges accommodation and financial support for newly arrived refugees making an asylum claim in Scotland, while its One Stop Service offers independent information, advice, and advocacy for asylum seekers. The service provides basic immigration advice as well as advice on integration, housing and financial support. Caseworkers often hear harrowing stories of persecution and torture from asylum seekers and refugees.
Scottish Refugee Council is also actively involved in campaigning and influencing public policy. In conjunction with bodies such as the Refugee Council which is based in England, Scottish Refugee Council influences policy at Westminster and the Scottish Parliament.
The organisation provides information to both press and the public in order to broaden public understanding of issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers. Scottish Refugee Council is active in reacting to press coverage such as the BBC's Asylum Day programme, and to articles and letters which appear in newspapers and magazines.
Scottish Refugee Council also plays a part in community development, supporting refugee community organisations in Scotland, helping refugees tell their stories to the media, and involving them in policy discussions with politicians and service providers.
Networking and partnership-building is also important to Scottish Refugee Council. It works closely with other refugee agencies in the UK, including the Refugee Council, the Refugee Survival Trust, and Scottish Detainee Visitors. It also has international links with UNHCR and is part of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE).
Scottish Refugee Council coordinates Refugee Week Scotland. Refugee week is a UK wide programme of events which celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK. Refugee Week 2010 will take place from 14 - 20 June.
During Refugee Week Scotland, hundreds of events exploring refugee experiences take place across Scotland. These range from small community and school activities to art exhibitions, political debates, film festivals, music festivals and sports events. It's All About the Journey is a community blog for everyone involved in Refugee Week Scotland.
In January 2011, the UK Border Agency announced funding cuts for the Scottish Refugee Council, along with other refugee agencies across the country. It is thought that the One Stop Service, which provides advice to asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland could face cuts of 62%.[1] Whilst, the Scottish Refugee Council welcomes the decision by the UK Minister of Education, Damien Green, to extend funding until early 2013, it remains anxious over the potential impact of spending cuts on the services it offers vulnerable people in urgent need of aid and assistance.
In its response to planned cutbacks, the Scottish Refugee Council issued a joint statement with its counterparts in England and Wales:
"Savage cuts to the refugee charity sector will force people who have already fled torture, conflict and persecution in their own countries to suffer even further while seeking safety in the UK."[1]
"To build a better future with refugees in Scotland" Mission statement of the Scottish Refugee Council