In May and June 2011, the Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) published two briefings and a report on refugees, migrants and equality.
‘Refugees, migrants and the Equality Act 2010. A briefing for public authorities’ was written for EDF by Barbara Cohen and published in June 2011.
Click here for briefing for public authorities (pdf)
‘Refugees, migrants and the Equality Act 2010. A briefing for refugee and migrant community organisations’ was written for EDF by Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership (REAP) and published in June 2011.
Click here for briefing for refugee and migrant community organisations (pdf)
‘Who’s Still Missing? Refugees, migrants and the equality agenda’ by Dr Phil McCarvill was published in May 2011. The research explores what lessons can be learnt from the implementation of the previous Race Equality Duty and considers how public authorities can most effectively use the new Duty to incorporate refugee and migrant communities into their core work.
Click here for ‘Who’s Still Missing? Refugees, migrants and the equality agenda’ (pdf)
The report was launched at a conference on 17 May 2011 attended by representatives of local authorities as well as equality, human rights, refugee and migrant NGOs.
The conference was chaired by Sarah Spencer CBE, chair of the Equality and Diversity Forum. Dr McCarvill presented the findings of the research before responses from panellists including:
- Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council
- Don Flynn, Director of the Migrants’ Rights Network
- Olvia Fellas, Head of Equalities, Refugee and Migrant Services at Islington Council
- Rose Doran, Community Cohesion Advisor, Equalities and Cohesion team, Local Government Improvement and Development
Following a plenary discussion, Angela Mason, Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission and Councillor, London Borough of Camden gave closing remarks and suggestions for next steps in addressing refugee and migrant disadvantage.
Click here for presentation by Dr McCarvill (Powerpoint)
Additional material:
Click here for statement by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on ‘The Equality Act 2010 and its application to asylum-seekers and refugees’. This includes confirmation that ‘there is no blanket exemption from the Equality Act 2010 (or its predecessor statutes) for persons who are subject to immigration control’ and that while there are limited exemptions in relation to immigration control ‘Asylum-seekers and refugees and all other persons subject to immigration control are protected by the EA2010 [Equality Act 2010]’.
Click here for link to ‘The Relationship between Immigration Status and Rights in the UK: Exploring the Rationale’ by Sarah Spencer and Jason Pobjoy (COMPAS working paper 11-86)
Click here for Don Flynn’s blog about the research
Please contact EDF at info@equallyours.org.uk to request a printed copy of ‘Who’s still missing?’
The briefings, report and event were part of the EDF’s project on refugee and migrant equality supported by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and Trust for London.
