Lords to ask local authorities how they support resettled refugees in their area

The Committee will explore the main difficulties or barriers in delivering refugee resettlement programmes and the factors that support successful integration for resettled refugees. 

The witnesses attending today's sessions are giving evidence on how devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as London have managed migration in their area, including their work with regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs). These are local authority-led partnerships formed of grassroots organisations, multi-agency forums and specialist groups. SMPs seek to ensure that migration is managed in a manner that meets both local and national needs, and expectations regarding the dispersal, accommodation and support of asylum seekers.

At 10:40am the committee will question:

• Cllr Jim Gifford, Leader of Aberdeenshire Council
• Cllr Susan Elsmore, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Heath at Cardiff Council
• Ian Snowden, Chief Executive of Land & Property Services at the Northern Ireland Department of Finance

At 11:40am the committee will question:

• David Simmonds CBE MP, Chair of the LGA's Asylum, Refugee and Migration Task Group

The Committee are likely to ask questions including:

• How have local communities in your area responded to the resettlement of refugees?
• Has your area accommodated unaccompanied minors? How do you support these children, and what support do you get from central government in their resettlement?
• What is your understanding of how the new global resettlement scheme will operate?
• UNHCR's 2017 Towards integration report found that local authorities were concerned about the ability of refugee families to access good quality and secure housing. What has been your experience in managing accommodation for refugees?

The evidence session will be held in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.