Posted on 19th February 2025
A new legal briefing sets out steps the Scottish Government and local authorities can take now to mitigate the harm caused to people in Scotland by UK immigration policy.
Ending Destitution in Scotland: A Road Map for Policymakers was commissioned by the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) through their role in Fair Way Scotland, a partnership working to prevent homelessness and destitution among people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF).
The briefing by Jen Ang, for legal and strategic consultancy Lawmanity, follows the latest Fair Way Scotland evaluation report Destitution by Design, which sets out the terrible impact of the UK immigration system on people who come to Scotland to work, study, join family or seek safety.
This legal route-map argues that Scottish Government and local authorities can take positive steps to end this situation across seven areas that deliver essential support to people: social security and financial support, housing, transport, health and social care, education, work, justice and legal aid.
It challenges presumptions that reserved immigration law prevents specific groups from accessing support that would mitigate the harm they suffer at present, by presenting workable solutions that national and local government could pursue to achieve immediate positive change.
More broadly, the briefing recommends that decision makers in Scotland can fulfil their commitment to ending homelessness and destitution by reviewing and if necessary redesigning devolved policy, working with the UK Government to define ‘public funds’, improving frontline practice, and establishing parallel systems of support.
