Getting started: building an asylum integration strategy

• One of the first steps in building an asylum strategy should involve formulating a working definition that sets out ‘what does integration look like for people seeking asylum’. This in turn can be used to determine key objectives and outcomes. 
• A working definition can be set up internally for use among staff in an asylum team, to be referred to when designing new initiatives for people seeking asylum. Better still, more comprehensive asylum strategies can formalise definitions of integration at a council level, for use across departments, helping to mainstream an asylum integration lens into work borough-wide.
• There are a variety of different definitions for ‘social integration’ and specific definitions for the integration of people seeking asylum. However, definitions tend to frame the concept as a two-way process, involving newcomers being able to function well, and becoming active and thriving members of their community; and hosts and institutions helping to welcome and support arrivals to settle and lay down roots in their new home. It should be noted that integration is distinct from the concept of forced ‘assimilation’ into a majority culture. Instead, integration requires responsive and equitable policy and services, and a shared sense of community and a respect for differences between people from diverse backgrounds. 

Local authorities may wish to refer to the GLA definition of social integration as a template:

• 'Social integration is the extent to which people positively interact and connect with others who are different to themselves. It is determined by the level of equality between people, the nature of their relationships, and their degree of participation in the communities in which they live. The Mayor’s work on social integration has four parts:
  • Relationships – promoting shared experiences 
  • Participation – supporting Londoners to be active citizens
  • Equality – tackling barriers and inequalities 
  • Evidence – improving London’s evidence base to measure, evaluate and share findings on the state of social integration.'
• When deciding on a definition, and on strategic objectives, senior leads should consider what integration means from the perspectives and lived experiences of people in the asylum system. Ideally, this should involve a consultation or co-design exercise with asylum seeking residents to incorporate their ideas and centre on their needs. See our Coproduction and consultation page for more detail and case studies on how local authorities can engage in consultations.

A working definition of integration can then be used to identify a range of more specific and measurable outcomes, and then aims and objectives for activities to facilitate the social integration of people seeking asylum.

During this exercise it can be helpful to see integration as a process that takes place across a variety of different domains in a person’s life. Somebody may hence be socially integrated in one domain (for example having social connections in a community) while not in others (for example struggling to open a bank account and integrate economically).

The table below, drawing on research by British Future, highlights key ‘foundations’, ‘facilitators’ and ‘connections’ that help enable social integration to take place.

Foundations: Equality and inclusion are crucial components of social integration. Our basic needs must be met to enable people seeking asylum to have the agency and access that enables them to become active members in their new community.

Facilitators: We need to put in place the conditions that encourage social integration, where people from different backgrounds can come together, find common ground and respect differences. Importantly, this requires leadership to organise and sustain initiatives that can help people from all backgrounds to meet, mix and thrive in their boroughs.

These in turn can help build:

• Bonding connections – with people who we see as having similar qualities to ourselves.
• Bridging connections – relationships that span in-group out-group divides across society.
• Linking connections – between people and institutions, for example, between local councillors, borough staff, GPs or ESOL providers and people seeking asylum. These connections help build institutional trust and enable people to access resources, rights and entitlements.

• Once target outcomes and strategic aims and objectives have been drafted, these can be used to identify and shape the practices, actions and service delivery of an asylum response. The next sections of this toolkit examine in more detail how local authorities can prioritise, initiate and expand their service delivery after establishing a strategic framework.
• Crucially, look to build in methodologies for evaluating these outcomes against objectives at a service design stage.
• A number of practical toolkits and information briefings are available to support the process of evaluating initiatives, measuring social integration and tracking success towards objectives and key performance indicators:
  • The GLA Social Integration Measurement Toolkit is a helpful starting point with advice on data collection and a full index of social integration measures. 
  • Local authorities may also wish to refer to the Government DLUHC briefing pack on Measuring Outcomes for Integrated Communities, which also includes a list of integration indicators and examples on how to collect data to track changes in these over time. Similarly, the Home Office also provides a list of indicators of integration.
  • Our page on Coproduction and consultation furthermore provides guidance and examples of consultation with people seeking asylum, to inform those wishing to gather feedback directly from service users.

The development of an asylum integration strategy can also form an opportunity for local authorities in London to pursue ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ accreditation through the UK City of Sanctuary scheme.

Through a combination of checklists, accreditation requirements and tailored one-to-one support, the borough of sanctuary programme helps support local authorities to create a more joined-up and strategic approach to their welcoming programme, focused on ‘creating a culture of welcome’ for refugees and people seeking asylum.Reference:1

This includes through supporting boroughs to:

• Offer a positive vision of a culture of welcome and hospitality to all.
• Create opportunities for relationships of friendship and solidarity between local people and those seeking sanctuary.
• Recognise and encourage partnership working and network development across localities.
• Identify opportunities for practical action and work on common cause issues to effect change within and across communities (turning empathy into action).
• Celebrate and promote the welcome contribution of people seeking sanctuary.
• Engage people seeking sanctuary in decision making processes at all levels and in all activities promote understanding of asylum and refugee issues, especially by enabling refugee voices to be heard directly.

Many of the boroughs in the Design Lab noted that the process of working toward certification had acted as a useful galvanising mechanism and unifying objective, helping unlock political buy-in at a council level and across multiple teams to support a more co-ordinated asylum and refugee strategy.