Services
Housing
Bristol City Council is working with Clearsprings attempting to enable new refugee families to remain in the accommodation they lived in prior to their asylum decision. In addition to this partnership the Council has also set up the Heading Home Forum Refugee Sub Group in order to address similar needs.
Homeless asylum seekers and refugees can be referred by Bristol City Council local Customer Service Points (of which there are 8) to the Family Homelessness and Prevention Team and to the Hub (single people and couples without children).
Shelter provide a specialist support for refugee families in Bristol as part of their “Homelessness to Home” campaign.
Destitution
Destitution usually occurs following an asylum claim rejection, but can also occur whilst waiting to go on section 4 support. Many of those facing destitution go from one house in the community to the next, leaving them vulnerable to mental, physical and sexual abuse, with women being disproportionately affected (Oxfam 2000). Others face street homelessness. Refugee Links provides 46 beds for destitute asylum seekers and refugees at their hostel in Eastville. In addition to accommodation they also provide other forms of support, such as advice on benefit claims, education and language.
Employment and Training
Refugees possess the same range of skills as nationals; however they can face many barriers in their search for work. In response training programmes and support services have been set up nationwide to aid refugees.
Clean Slate Training and Employment provides paid work and training for people from groups that are excluded from the labour market - including refugees along with homeless people, those with disabilities and the long-term unemployed. The Refugee Clinician Programme assists refugee healthcare professionals through the re-qualification process. NGOs and RCOs providing training programmes and advice for refugees seeking employment include the Bangladeshi Association, Refugee Women of Bristol, Bristol Refugee Rights and the Sikh Resource Centre.
Education
Since 2007 those not granted Indefinite Leave to Remain or who are not in receipt of benefits are unable to access free English language classes (ESOL) provided by government-funded bodies. Consequently, some RCOs and NGOs in Bristol offer free language classes to those excluded from ESOL. Organisations offering this service include Refugee Women of Bristol and Bristol Refugee Rights.
At primary school level work is underway to develop children’s acquisition of languages in a project named A Vision for Primary Languages, which includes community languages. A third of primary schools in Bristol are involved with the scheme, according to a report commissioned by Bristol City Council (Cousins 2006).
The Refugee Awareness Project coordinated by Refugee Action was established in 2006. It sends a team of refugee volunteers into schools to explain to pupils what life is like as a refugee and to share concerns of the refugee population in a bid to raise awareness along with community and social cohesion.
Health
GPs
Compared to other areas of the UK access to healthcare is generally good for asylum seekers and refugees in Bristol. The biggest problem comes for those who have had their asylum claims rejected or who are waiting to go onto section 4 support, as the bureaucracy of checking documents can prove a significant barrier. This is especially the case for those facing homelessness, as proof of address is often required. It is not uncommon, however, for GP surgeries in Bristol to allow those asylum seekers in these categories to register.
The Haven Health Assessment for Asylum Seekers provides asylum seekers with an initial health check on arrival to Bristol. It acts as an extended gateway service, dealing firstly with a person's complex and immediate problems followed by referral to the appropriate services and GP.
Access to dental care can prove difficult for asylum seekers, as NHS dentists, apart from often operating at full capacity, do not offer an interpreting service, unlike other healthcare departments.
Mental health
Many asylum seekers and refugees have endured persecution and hardships that require the help of mental health care specialists. Bristol is home to a handful of such organisations. Womankind’s Bristol Women’s Therapy Centre, for example, offer, a free counseling service for asylum seeking and refugee women, whilst the Bridge Foundation provides specialised therapy for families. The Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counseling (BCPC) offer free care for all asylum seekers and refugees within the Bristol area.
Integration
Bristol City Council was awarded the prestigious government Beacon Council Award for Promoting Racial Equality in 2005. The council has also been commended on its effort to promote and facilitate integration amongst asylum seekers, refugees and minority ethnic groups (RaceActionNet).
The annual Festival of Ideas began in 2005 as an initiative of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership (BCDP), which seeks to engage in debate and discussion across all communities. The 2009 festival saw Immigration and Integration added as a topic of discussion.
The Sudanese Community Association of Bristol (SCAOB) co-ordinates Time Together: a national mentoring project. This scheme sees mentors assist refugees to integrate by making them feel more at home and by sharing their knowledge, experience and friendship.
Community Cohesion
The 2008 Bristol Quality of Life Survey shows that 55 per cent of residents in Bristol feel that their area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. This figure is significantly lower in particular areas, such as Lawrence Hill where it stands at 37 per cent (Bristol City Council 2008).
Bristol has seen community tension rise on a number of occasions in recent years. The Somali community has especially suffered high levels of racial harassment and attacks. The 'Hillfields Attacks' in the summer of 2007 consisted of 90 incidents reported mostly by Somali women who were verbally and physically abused, mainly by white teenagers. Furthermore, in 2008 a pregnant Somali woman was stabbed outside her home in Hillfields (The Somali Voice 2007). In the light of these attacks the Council now works closely with the Somali community and has established a local community cohesion task group and 15 hate crime reporting centres. 2008 saw a decrease in the reporting of racially motivated crimes and Support Against Racial Incidents (SARI) documented a fall in its caseload.
Other reported community tensions include those between Somalis and Kurds, mainly over waste management, and Black Caribbean and Somalis, often linked to the selling of drugs (Bristol City Council 2007).
There has been a rise in the number of racial incidents between school pupils and parents, predominantly due to the perception that certain groups receive preferential treatment. As a result there is now a full time focus on community cohesion and a Race Equality Officer from Bristol City Council works alongside schools in tackling the problem. Local schools also participate in Refugee Week; the Refugee Awareness Project and staff attend training on community cohesion.
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Last Updated: 06/10/09
