REALISING INTEGRATION ENAR policy seminar on migration, integration, social inclusion and anti-discrimination MIGRANTS AND ACCESS TO SOCIAL PROTECTION Nazek Ramadan Migrants Resource Centre – London

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REALISING INTEGRATIONENAR policy seminar on
migration, integration, social inclusion and
anti-discriminationMIGRANTS AND ACCESS TO
SOCIAL PROTECTION Nazek RamadanMigrants
Resource Centre London

• Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre
• Brussels 1 and 2 March 2007
• Seminar organised in cooperation with the
  European Womens Lobby, CCME (Churches'
  Commission for Migrants in Europe), ECRE
  (European Council on Refugees and Exiles),
  December 18, EAPN (European Anti Poverty
  Network), SOLIDAR, PICUM (Platform for
  International Cooperation on Undocumented
  Migrants), MPG (Migration Policy Group), Caritas
  Europa and in media cooperation with Euractiv.

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Migrants Resource Centre (MRC)

• The MRC has been working with displaced people
  from all over the world effecting social justice
  and change, offering key services such as legal
  advice, training, community development for over
  25 years

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Migrant and Refugee Empowerment Project

• This is MRCs programme of inclusion and
  representation of migrants and refugees in
  Britain at a policy and strategic level.
• The Project aims to empower migrants and
  refugees to have a voice and to break some of the
  barriers to inclusion and equality through a
  number of initiatives.

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Migrants and access to social protection

• All the information used in this presentation is
  based on a number of research and consultations
  MRC conducted with migrants, refugees, asylum
  seekers and BME communities, including the
  findings of the workshops fed into the NAP 2006.
• The following key areas identified by
  participants will form our definition of social
  protection which will be further explored in this
  presentation. They were regarded as the
  necessities to lead a dignified life, and they
  fit well with the minimum standards set up by the
  European Commission

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Migrants and access to social protection

• Safety, respect and acceptance regardless of
  race, colour, sex or financial status
• Equal rights and opportunities as well as full
  human rights
• A sense of real integration in society
• The opportunity to have own beliefs and practice
  own religion
• The right to a family life
• Access to health and education
• Secure employment relevant to qualifications
• Secure accommodation in reasonable conditions

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Barriers to Social Protection

• Participants in our research listed a range of
  barriers including
• Many barriers preventing integration and the lack
  of real commitment and clear policy to encourage
  integration
• Lack of opportunities
• Lack of information and knowledge of the system
  in the UK
• Not knowing your rights
• Political and social injustice

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Barriers to Social Protection (Continued)

• Racism, discrimination and prejudice
• Lack of work experience in the UK difficulties
  in accessing employment
• Not recognising certificates and educational
  achievements from abroad
• Not enough professionals and influential people
  from ethnic minorities
• Cultural differences and loss of identity
• Language barrier

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• Discrimination prevents employment.
  Discrimination against our names, religion,
  accent, appearance, etc. Change all this, and we
  will get a job today.
• We like to be part of this society and live like
  the rest of the population in the UK, but people
  here are not open to us.
• I am an asylum seeker, I cannot do anything. I
  cannot work, I cannot study, and I cannot walk in
  the street with confidence.

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Social Protection access and entitlement

• There is no such thing as social protection for
  all in the UK or basic rights to prevent extreme
  hardship - it is estimated that between 155,000
  and 283,000 refused asylum seekers are destitute.
  People with different immigration status have
  different entitlement.
• Asylum Seekers
• Undocumented Migrants
• Refugees
• Migrants (including EU nationals)

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Social Protection policies and debate

• The impact of the ongoing immigration debate and
  the constant changes in immigration policies and
  entitlements on the lives of migrants, refugees
  and asylum seekers
• Increased public hostility
• Increased hostile media coverage
• Increased discrimination by service providers who
  are unsure of the entitlements and are unable to
  keep up with changes
• Increased injustice

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• There are lots of misunderstandings around us,
  which lead to us facing hostility from the
  government and the public. The media is very rude
  and racist towards us. They make up all these
  false stories about us, and people here read and
  believe them. How can they hate us so much when
  they do not even know us?
• When I was housed by NASS, some people used to
  throw bottles at me and swear at me and call me
  all sort of names. But things are a little bit
  better now that I am a destitute. People cant
  tell I am an asylum seeker.

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Access to social protectionAnti-discrimination
legislation and protection

• To explore their knowledge of The Race
  Relations Act and whether they felt protected
  from discrimination, we conducted a survey with
  50 persons from BMER communities randomly
  selected. 26 women and 24 men between the ages of
  25 and 60.
• We asked the following three questions
• Are you aware of the Race Relations Act?
• Have you ever experienced racial discrimination?
• Do you feel protected by the law from racial
  discrimination?

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Findings

• Only 20 of the 50 participants said they were
  aware of the Act
• 29 had experienced racial discrimination. Several
  others also mentioned suffering racial harassment
  on the street. Main areas of discrimination were
  accessing health, benefit, housing, education and
  employment.
• Some of those who said that they did not
  experience discrimination are asylum seekers who
  were not entitled to access mainstream services.
• 14 said they felt protected by the law. Eight
  said they felt partially protected. Most of those
  who said they were aware of the Act did not feel
  protected

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Findings (continued)

• Only nine had challenged discrimination. One had
  been successful. Others did not challenge
  discrimination against them for various reasons.
  Some did not know they had the right to challenge
  or how to go about it.
• I have been encouraged to take it further and
  told that I had a good case, but did not go ahead
  for fear of retaliation. The law can not
  protect me when discrimination is hidden. My
  status does not allow me to challenge my
  discrimination.

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Conclusion

• Many people are still not aware of anti
  discrimination legislation, and the protection
  and rights it provides them with
• Many people are experiencing discrimination and
  are unwilling or unable to challenge it
• Many people do not feel protected against
  discrimination

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Conclusion

• Discrimination is clearly felt and experienced
  by many migrants, refugees and other ethnic
  minorities. For this group, discrimination is
  still an issue that is not being properly
  addressed.

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Good Practice

• Mayor of London Refugee Integration Board
• Various projects in the voluntary and migrant and
  refugee sector