Alumni news
University of Sussex academic co-authors new Government report outlining steps towards a more integrated society
By: Tom Furnival-Adams
Last updated: Thursday, 6 June 2019
Dr Linda Morrice has played a key role in the creation of a new report on improving integration strategies to better support refugees in the UK.
A University of Sussex academic has played a key role in the creation of a new report on improving integration strategies to better support refugees in the UK.
Dr Linda Morrice is the co-author of Indicators of Integration Framework - a resource for local authorities, charities and those working with groups in society at risk of poor integration, which was launched by Immigration Minister and Sussex alumna Caroline Noakes earlier this month.
The framework has been produced by the Home Office in collaboration with a group of leading academics, which also includes Dr Alison Strang of Queen Margaret University, Professor Jenny Phillimore at the University of Birmingham and Dr Lucy Michael of Ulster University, and with input from local authorities, charities and from refugees themselves. It provides practical ways to understand and measure the integration of refugees and migrants.
Local authorities, charities and academics will come together today at a launch event in London to explore how best to use the framework and accompanying toolkit.
Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:
“The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those that need it and we are committed to supporting individuals integrate and rebuild their lives here.
“This important report will help organisations across the UK meet the vital needs of refugees and migrants as they make this country their home.”
The academic team who worked on the report said:
“We welcome this new framework, which builds upon our previous work and the growing evidence of how these factors shape the experience of integration, as a potentially powerful tool to inform those working with refugees and migrants in the UK and, indeed, globally.
“The indicators represent the most comprehensive approach yet to capturing the multi-dimensionality and multi-directionality of integration.”
Dr Morrice added that the report, which had taken two years and involved both the Home Office and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, was the most comprehensive piece of work on refugee integration produced by the UK Government.
By using the framework, organisations can design more effective integration strategies, monitor services and better evaluate progress.
Professionals will be able to use the framework to develop strategies and assess the effectiveness of integration based on 14 key areas, such as work, education, housing, health and culture. They will also have access, through the accompanying toolkit, to common questions and tools for measuring impact.
It will allow for a more joined-up approach across local, regional and national programmes to better understand integration outcomes over time and facilitate the understanding of good practice.
The new Indicators of Integration report and accompanying toolkit can be found here.