Supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Glasgow: The Role of Multi-agency Networks

Abstract

The implementation of a dispersal policy in Britain has brought asylum seekers to regions of the country which previously had little experience of providing services for this group. Around 10,000 asylum seekers have been resettled in the city of Glasgow since 2000 as a result of the policy. Multi-agency networks have been established in Glasgow as a medium for facilitating co-operation across the voluntary and statutory sectors for the provision of locally-based support services, while also facilitating community development. This paper explores the experiences of these networks since their inception. While highlighting the continuing importance of the voluntary sector in supporting asylum seekers and refugees, it raises concerns over the reactive way in which services have been provided, where responsibility has fallen on voluntary and community organizations to fill gaps in statutory service provision. It further examines the implications for social cohesion of housing-led resettlement, which has largely been in areas suffering from social deprivation. The findings highlight the frustrations of service providers working within a disjointed policy framework, characterized by contradictions between Scottish and UK policy goals.