What we do

SMPs work with stakeholders in the statutory, voluntary, private and community sectors to provide a strategic leadership, advisory and coordination function on migration in their regions and nations, ensuring a coordinated approach to migration and the sharing of relevant information and good practice.

SMPs facilitate and enable collaboration between central Government, the devolved administrations, Local Government, non-governmental organisations and regional and local stakeholders to develop a strategic approach to promoting the benefits of migration and minimising any adverse impacts by:

• Communicating and raising awareness of Home Office priorities as outlined in each Grant Agreement, taking a problem-solving and partnership approach to challenges where possible and providing constructive feedback to the Home Office on issues and challenges that can’t be resolved locally;
• Acting as a critical friend to the Home Office facilitating continuous improvement in asylum, refugee resettlement procedures and broader migration policies and procedures;
• Contributing to the development of UK migration policy and advising on best delivery methods;
• Acting as a conduit for the sharing of information and evidence between central Government and local authorities and local partners, particularly around issues relating to the support of dispersed asylum seekers, refugees and migrants by ensuring a two-way flow of information so that central government is aware of each region and devolved nation’s issues and priorities relating to migration.

All local groups feed into a regional Migrant Worker Steering Group and the Asylum and Refugee Reference Group, each with a mechanism to feed into respective national bodies.

The Partnership receives an annual grant from the Home Office for the operation of the enabling function as described above. Payment of the grant is dependent on the achievement of key performance indicators agreed between the East of England LGA Strategic Migration Partnership and the Home Office.

Since 2016 the Strategic Migration Partnership has also been coordinating refugee resettlement and ESOL provision in the region, as well as participation of local authorities in the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children National Transfer Scheme.

We are currently supporting:

• Migrant Worker and Asylum and Refugee networks – Supporting local migrant worker and asylum seekers and refugee networks, encompassing grass roots organisations and a network of multi-agency fora and specialist and task groups, as well as regional groups such as the Migrant Worker Steering Group (MWSG), the Asylum and Refugee Reference Group, the Social Care Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) group and the No Recourse to Public Funds group (NRPF).
• Training – The East of England Strategic Migration Partnership organises and delivers training to partners who provide services to asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers.
• Strategic Migration Partnership Newsflash – The Newsflash is issued every two months and is a roundup of publications, information, events, funding and jobs relating to asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers for anyone who wants to keep up to date with the latest developments.
• Developing resources – The Strategic Migration Partnership has produced resources to meet identified needs in support of partners in the East of England who work with refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers