Migration Justice statement on the publication of the Refugee Integration Strategy
An effective Refugee Integration Strategy for Northern Ireland? Wishful thinking
On 29 May 2025, the Executive Office quietly published the Refugee Integration Strategy. The Refugee Integration Strategy is long, long overdue; the commitment to publish a strategy was first outlined in 2005. Since then, and in the continued absence of government leadership, civil society organisations have been at the fore of refugee integration in Northern Ireland. Incidentally, a number of the initiatives presented by the Executive Office as ‘progress to date’ (p 16) were actually conceived and championed by members of the Refugee Asylum Forum. This includes the establishment of a Crisis Fund to alleviate destitution, free ESOL provision, access to healthcare and Independent Guardianship for separated children.
The Law Centre welcomes the Strategy’s commitment to integration from Day One. This is the right approach and recognises that people seeking sanctuary are valued members of society from the outset rather than being required to wait until status is granted. The benefits of early integration initiatives – namely better outcomes for individuals and communities – are clearly underpinned by evidence. The Law Centre commends the Executive Office for adopting a clear stance on this.
There are other positives peppered throughout the Strategy including the plan to promote Places of Sanctuary, establish proactive measures to address and prevent hate crimes against those seeking refuge (this has particular resonance for the LGBTQI+ asylum seeker community given the prevalence of homophobic abuse in asylum accommodation), develop pathways out of destitution, ensure the provision of legal advice and information, develop educational pathways for those aged 14-18 years, develop employability pathways and improve the recognition of qualifications. If implemented, these measures will undoubtably bring about significant improvements.
Unfortunately, however, the Law Centre’s overall assessment is one of disappointment. Two years ago, members of the Refugee & Asylum Forum exhorted the Executive Office to publish a Strategy that contains ‘measurable actions, robust accountability structures and monitoring mechanisms’. Instead, the Strategy shies away from committing to tangible, measurable actions and instead offers a number of initiatives within four overarching outcomes. While the outcomes themselves are to be welcomed, they are aspirational rather than tangible and it is wholly unclear how they can ever be monitored or measured.
Let’s take a look at what the Northern Ireland Civil Service guide to successful policy making has to say about measuring impact:
The success of strategy is measured in terms of improvement in the indicators that describe the future you want to see. In order to ensure that an action plan is being properly implemented, it is also important to measure how the policies are being delivered, using performance measurements.
The Guide puts it very succinctly:
A Strategy without an Action Plan is just wishful thinking.
The published Strategy contains not a single indicator or performance measurement. In contrast, the respective refugee integration strategies in Scotland and Wales outline very clear targets and timeframes.
Further, there is a complete absence of robust accountability measures in this Strategy. Progress will be monitored by the TEO Strategic Planning Group (SPG), which sits within the Executive Office. The SPG contains no representation from the civil society organisations that have carried the baton of refuge integration for the last twenty years. Nor does it include any representation of people seeking sanctuary. By failing to make provision for ‘effective participation,’ whereby persons most affected by government policy play an active role in the policy cycle, the Executive has published a Strategy which is not human rights compliant.
On 20th June, the Law Centre will be celebrating World Refugee Day, the international day to honour people who have been forced to flee. Many events will take place throughout the preceding week across the globe and in this corner of the world. At this time of year, we reflect on the need to continue championing refugee rights, to build support for refugee inclusion, to partner and collaborate and to advocate for progressive solutions. While this Refugee Integration Strategy falls well short of our expectations, we are committed to work with the Executive Office and other stakeholders to strengthen it. There is much work to be done.