Migration Structures in the South West John Price Regional Partnership Manager, Migration [email protected] Mob.: 07740561141.

Migration Structures in the South West

John Price

Regional Partnership Manager,

Migration

[email protected]

Mob.: 07740561141

Background

1999 Home Office policy of ‘dispersing’ asylum-seekers around the country

Regions asked to set up regional consortia to oversee regional integration

Eventually in 2003 a regional consortia set up: largely with representatives from Local Authorities and other stakeholders

Supported by a Regional Policy Manager, John Price, funded through Home Office ‘Enabling Grant’

Original Purpose of Enabling GrantOverall requirement: “structures are in

place to carry out the enabling function and that these are maintained at both local and regional level to ensure that there are effective links between the various organisations and agencies involved in the delivery of support”

Strict monitoring and reporting arrangements were put in place

Asylum-Seekers & Refugees

2003 – 2007 emphasis of Home Office funding was entirely upon needs of asylum-seekers and refugees

2007 challenges posed by Migrant Workers on Local Authorities led to widened remit of Enabling Grant

Data – Asylum Seekers

Currently approx.1150 asylum-seekers in the region supported by UKBA in designated areas – Plymouth, Swindon, Gloucestershire, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

GLOUCESTERSHIRESection 95 97Section 4 44Subs. Only 8

Data – Migrant Workers

Almost impossible to give accurate total figure.

Inlow of migrant workers to S.W. Region: 2006/07 412302007/08 38900

New Structure Requirement

The Enabling Grant specified that a new structure needed “to facilitate and promote the effective contact, co-ordination and partnership working between the Strategic Migration Partnership, Local Authorities, police, Health Authorities, Employment and career services, Government Regional offices, Regional CBI/Employers Forum, Regional TUC, voluntary groups and accommodation providers”

South West Councils

Regional Strategic Co-Ordination Board for

Migration

Migrant Workers Forum

Asylum Seekers & Refugees Forum

Multi Agency Locality Forum

Links to National Fora

Regional Structure

South West Regional Co-ordination Board for

Migration

To provide a regional strategic lead in relation to the whole migration agenda

Chaired by Cllr Roger Hutchinson, South Glos, Chair of South West Councils and Assembly Member

Local Authority Membership at senior level from areas most affected by asylum dispersal and migrant workers

Chief Executive of South West Councils, UKBA Regional Director and other regional stakeholders.

Asylum-Seekers & Refugee ForumChaired by Canon Adrian Sladeto provide a regional response to issues

around Asylum Seekers and newly-recognised Refugees

enables regular dialogue between key agencies involved in work on asylum issues and advises and develops work to support Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Migrant Workers Forum

Chaired by Nigel Costley, Regional TUC

Remit “to gather information, share experience and best practice and to enable co-operation at a regional level, on issues surrounding migrant workers. It reports to and works under the South West Regional Co-ordination Board for Migration”

PROJECTS

No Recourse to Public FundsHuman Trafficking.Regional coordination – good practice,

initiatives, identifying issues and feeding through to government.

Developing locality based multi agency groups.

Migrant Worker Action Plan.Recommendations of Regional Scrutiny on

Migrant Workers.

MIGRATION IMPACTS FUND

Announced in Green Paper Feb. 2008.Launched by G.Os March 2009. Closing date for bids 9th May 2009.£3m for each of 2009/10 and 2010/11??Funded through migrant fees.“to contribute towards the transitional

impact of migration on public services in local areas.”

MESSAGES FOR GLOUCESTER?

Know the issues.Work to the facts.Share and learn.Partnership working.Spot the trends.