The All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees reported last month after an investigation into the experience of new refugees in the UK.  It acknowledged how little time has been given to considering what happens to refugees once they have been granted protection by the UK Government, and set out to ask to what extent refugees are welcomed in the UK.  It examined how government policies supported refugees in the UK, and what more could be done to support communities to welcome refugees successfully. It also highlighted the impact of detention, of living for years in poverty, being banned from working and the long delays and poor quality of Home Office decisionmaking.

The top line recommendations are:

• The creation of a National Refugee Integration Strategy, to be overseen by a specially appointed cross-departmental Government Minister for Refugees.
• More than doubling the so-called move on period from Home Office support, the time given to newly recognised refugees to find new accommodation after they receive a positive decision on their status. The current 28-day period often results in destitution for newly recognised refugees in the UK currently.
• Providing extra support for newly recognised refugees and streamlining the process by which new refugees are assigned National Insurance Numbers and identity documents.
• Extra funding for English language classes.

Here is the full report Refugees Welcome  which we encourage all our supporters to read and to pass onto their MPs. Obviously we support the recommendations and would like to see parliamentary candidates asked if they would do so too.