Earlier this year, Law Centre NI was awarded funding by Belfast City Council to deliver a 12-month-long capacity building project for community and voluntary sector organisations in the Belfast area. The first stage of the Welcome Information Programme was to assess community development needs in relation to supporting and advising people seeking asylum. 

Today, Law Centre NI publishes our report ‘Welcome Information Programme: Supporting and Advising Asylum Seekers: Development Needs in the Community and Voluntary Sector in Belfast’. 

Report Overview

The report is based on the input of 85 organisations operating in the Belfast City Council area, and identifies common barriers for organisations engaging with asylum seekers in Belfast, such as confidence, accessibility, and availability of advisers. 

Training was identified as the top development need, with 84% of surveyed organisations citing it. This was followed by the need for more funding, and the need for more translated information resources. 

Crucially, the report also assessed the impact of anti-migrant rhetoric on organisations providing services to refugees and asylum seekers, with 86% stating it has become an issue, rising to 100% of migrant-led organisations. 

Recommendations

The report makes a number of interim recommendations for Belfast City Council’s consideration, to be developed as the Welcome Information Programme progresses. These include:  

1. Increased:

• • Free training and capacity building 
  • Information resources 
  • Connectivity between Belfast’s existing Migrant Forum.

2. Research on the impact of anti-migrant rhetoric and hate crime on individuals and the voluntary and community sector

3. Funding for interpreters and translation

These recommendations will significantly support Belfast’s voluntary and community sector to better support and advise people seeking asylum. 

Read the full report here.