Board for Refugee Integration in London

From April 2006 the Mayor of London is responsible for strategic leadership of refugee integration work in London. To help him carry out this work, he has set up the Board for Refugee Integration in London (BRIL), which held its first meeting in July 2006. Read the Mayor's press release on the eve of the first meeting of BRIL.

Read about the Mayor's concept of integration, and his statement of aims and key principles.

Initial plans for BRIL were based on discussion between the GLA, the Home Office, the Association of London Government (ALG) and a small number of other stakeholders. During February-March 2006 the Mayor invited views on his leadership role and the work of BRIL from refugee communities, voluntary sector organisations, London boroughs and selected Members of Parliament. Read more about the Mayor's consultations on BRIL.

Since its first meeting in July 2006, BRIL has been advising the Mayor on the development of his draft strategy for refugee integration in London. This draft strategy - London Enriched - was launched for public consultation on 10 July. Consultation will run until 29 October 2007.

BRIL meeting papers

BRIL membership

BRIL brings together key London decision-makers representing the statutory, community and voluntary sectors, and includes two members from the refugee communities. View list of BRIL members.

BRIL objectives

The Board will

Lead and coordinate effort by statutory, community and voluntary sector partners to promote refugee integration in London
Adopt a strategy setting objectives for refugee integration effort across the city, which will be signed off by the Mayor as its chair and take account of goals and methods of the Home Secretary’s national refugee integration strategy
Ensure that information is gathered systematically for London on progress in the integration of refugees
Develop policy positions reflecting London’s needs on issues arising from refugee integration work, and convey them to relevant decision-makers
Promote good practice city-wide in services needed for refugee integration
Monitor the way asylum reception policies interact with refugee integration in London
Review funding sources for community and voluntary sector work on refugee integration, and seek funders’ agreement on ways of using funding streams that will help fulfil the Board’s strategic aims for London
Have strategic oversight of the way the Home Secretary’s national integration strategy is working in London, and pass the city’s experience back to him and to the National Refugee Integration Forum.

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