Refugee Housing in the EU

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1 Refugee Housing in the EU Dr. Gina Netto Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh for IFHP Workshop on Refugee Housing in the EU October 2015, Deventer, Netherlands

2 Structure of presentation Concentration or diffusion of refugees can be considered at different levels Concentration and diffusion outwith the EU Diffusion within the EU dispersal policies Need for sensitive implementation of dispersal policies Benefits and disadvantages of refugees concentration Example of good practice from Serbia role of host families

3 Concentration or diffusion of refugees? Spatially, concentration or diffusion can take place at a number of levels: Outwith/within the EU National Local authority area or municipality City Neighbourhood

4 Outwith the EU Turkey currently holds about 2 million refugees Moves by the EU to encourage the country to hold onto its migrants in attempts to control migration Some individuals are willing to move away from the EU - Malaysia has accepted 3000 Syrian refugees.

5 Within the EU: Diffusion at the national level -Dispersal Policies A number of countries including UK, Austria, Germany and Denmark - have introduced dispersal policies Many aspects of this policy are worthy of scrutiny Firstly, the assumption here is that asylum-seekers constitute a burden that needs to be spread (Robinson, 2003) part of an exclusionary discourse Secondly, such policies have been seen as part of a package of measures intended to deter and control asylum-seekers (Schuster, 2003)

6 Dispersal policies Thirdly, sites of dispersal have been chosen on the basis of the availability of housing, often in deprived and difficult to let areas, with little history of migration or settlement Such areas lack infrastructure and community support for new migrants and leave them vulnerable to racial hostility Fourthly, dispersal counters policies which promote refugee empowerment Finally, effectiveness of such policies has been questioned as individuals may still move

7 Sensitive implementation of dispersal policies Need for allocation policies to consider neighbourhoods into which refugees are being integrated Important to raise awareness of housing practitioners on importance of effective responses to racial harassment Areas where there are already high levels of poverty, deprivation and worklessness should be avoided Need to prepare local communities and adopt a staged process Capacity of existing services (schools, health services) needs to be considered.

8 Concentrating or diffusing refugees? Benefits of concentration Individuals from the same country can offer informal support to each other (same language, cultural background) and enhance sense of belonging or feeling safe. Locating individuals from certain countries in the same location can also enable local services to acquire cultural sensitivity in relation to individuals from a specific group New services and businesses which cater to the needs of specific groups can develop in a local area

9 Drawbacks of concentrating refugees Necessary to consider tensions between groups coming from the same country Danger of ghettoisation Lack of opportunities for individuals to: expand social networks learn the local language and customs employment opportunities

10 Good Practice example from Serbia From Netto, G, Fitzpatrick, S, Sosenko, F and Smith, H (forthcoming) International Lessons on tackling extreme housing exclusion JRF: York

11 Creating supportive environments for refugees: the use of host families Serbia had the highest number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Europe, stemming from the outbreak of political unrest in the former Yugoslavia in The Social Housing in Supportive Environment (SHSE) programme consists of the construction of individual dwellings plus a supported component involving host families. The programme has constructed 1,014 dwellings in 42 out of 168 municipalities. A supportive environment is created through host families, who are themselves from refugee backgrounds or Serbian citizens.

12 Role of host families Host families are selected by social work centres in the local municipality on the basis of well-publicised criteria. They are provided with training in communication, conflict resolution and supervision of those with mental and physical health problems. They are placed within each block to help facilitate the integration of their neighbours through practical assistance, advice and establishing contacts with others in the wider community, which can lead to jobs. For more professional support, host families can contact the social work centre. Host families are recompensed by the local municipality either through a small salary or through rent-free provision of their flats.

13 Creating supportive environments 80% of the dwellings are allocated to refugees and IDPs, and 20% to vulnerable groups within the existing community. This element of the model helps to create buy-in. Local municipalities contribute towards the costs of the programme by providing land and infrastructure, and facilitating the creation of supportive environments

14 Conclusions Decisions on concentrating or diffusing refugees need to informed by Existing government policy and the potential for change Quantity and quality of housing stock available In-depth knowledge of local areas and sensitivity to impact on local communities Benefits and drawbacks for refugees International examples of good practice

15 Thank you Dr. Gina Netto Associate Professor Institute of Social Policy, Housing and Real Estate Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh