AQW 43092/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 24/03/2026
Answered On Date: 01/04/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether their Department has carried out any assessment of the overlap between the Refugee Integration Strategy and the draft Framework for Racial Equality.

Answer:

The development of a Refugee Integration Strategy (RIS) was a recommendation in the previous Racial Equality Strategy and acknowledges some of the specific needs of those who arrive here seeking sanctuary. It is intended to sit alongside and support the vision of the draft Framework for Race Relations and assist delivery of its outcomes. We recognise that there are opportunities to align work across both strategies where there are shared needs and actions which can be delivered collaboratively to maximise outcomes for all, without negating the need to address bespoke issues facing refugees and those seeking asylum. This is an approach we are taking in delivering council hubs; a commitment in the RIS Delivery Framework. As set out in the draft Framework for Race Relations, we are seeking to expand the model to facilitate the provision of support, advice and signposting for all those who need it rather than solely refugees and those seeking asylum.