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 About our policy and research work

We’re proud that people in need of refugee protection can find welcome and safety in Scotland. But, when people arrive here, their journey is far from over. The UK’s asylum system is failing and the human right to seek asylum is under threat. Policies and laws around asylum are rarely made with people’s wellbeing in mind. Instead, debates about asylum have become part of an increasingly toxic political agenda.

We work hard to try to change this. The laws around asylum – and the media and political context in which those decisions are made – have a huge impact on people’s day-to-day lives. 

What we do:

  • We work with politicians and policymakers to help them understand the impact of current policies on men, women and children. 
  • We speak out alongside and on behalf of people seeking protection when policies are wrong or harmful. 
  • We gather evidence directly from the people we work with and from the refugee communities in Scotland about the impact of current laws on people’s lives.
  • We campaign for a fair and humane asylum system that everyone in the UK can have faith in.

Our principles

Our work with Scottish, UK and local government is guided by our principles of a fair and human refugee protection system. We are committed to challenging inequalities in the asylum system and in wider society, to ensure that everyone in need of refugee protection has fair and equal access to protection and is able to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Our five key principles of a fair and humane asylum system to protect and welcome refugees: 

  1. Global solidarity and responsibility sharing – all countries should play a role in providing sustainable solutions to forced migration 
  2. Effective access to an asylum process – all people seeking protection should have the opportunity to be able to do so
  3. A fair and efficient asylum system – all people seeking asylum should have their claims assessed in a fair and efficient asylum process
  4. Reception conditions that promote dignity, empowerment and integration – support provided during the asylum system must promote dignity, empower people and support their integration in the community from the moment of arrival
  5. Refugee integration – policies should support refugees to realise their full potential and empower them to make a positive contribution to their communities.
  6. Dignity and humanity for those found not to be in need of protection – people refused asylum should be treated in a safe, dignified and humane way at all times.
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