Remit
The Committee agreed its approach to an evidence session on the refugee crisis in the EU and Scotland's response at its meeting on 17 September 2015.
The Committee evidence session on Wednesday 1 October focused on the following three points:
- What action can Scotland/ Scottish people take to help with the refugee crisis?
- Is Scotland equipped and ready to take the appropriate action?
- The global context to the refugee crisis: How can greater security be created in other countries to reduce the crisis? This will include a discussion around the EU response.
The following organisations were represented at the roundtable evidence session:
Aspasia Papadopoulou, European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE);
Amal Azzudin, Glasgow Girls;
Morag Brown, Argyll and Bute Council;
Duncan Campsie, Glasgow City Council;
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UK representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);
Derek Mitchell, Chief Officer, COSLA;
Professor Alison Phipps, Glasgow Refugee Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMnet), University of Glasgow;
John Wilkes, Scottish Refugee Council;
Margaret Woods, Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees;
Joanna Zawadzka, Fife Migrants Forum.
Read the papers and associated documents here:
Correspondence
Following the meeting on 1 October, the Committee wrote to the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the European Commission. Read the letters here:
Read the responses here:
Motherwell Parliament Day
As part of its work on the refugee crisis in the EU, the European & External Relations Committee Convener took part in the Motherwell Parliament Day on Monday 9 October 2015.
The Motherwell Parliament Day gave local people the opportunity to have their voice heard as the Scottish Parliament held a meeting in the town. The European & External Relations Committee Convener, Christina McKelvie MSP, met with pupils and staff from Braidhurst High School, Our Lady's High School and Firpark Secondary school to explore issues around the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into local communities.
The Convener was joined on the panel by Councillor Pat O’Rourke from North Lanarkshire Council, Derek Mitchell from local government body Cosla, and John Wilkes from the Scottish Refugee Council.
Find out more here:
Motherwell Parliament Day, 9 November 2015