British Academy welcomes interim findings of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social integration

The British Academy has welcomed the interim findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Social Integration, which launched at the British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, yesterday (Thursday 5 January).

Speakers included Chuka Umunna MP, Chair of the APPG, Holly Lynch MP, member of the APPG, Dr Rachel Marangozov, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies and advisor to the APPG inquiry into the integration of immigrants, and Professor Anthony Heath CBE FBA, Chair of the British Academy social cohesion project. The launch was chaired by journalist Mary Ridell.

The interim report states that the government should design an immigration system with integration at its heart. It is based on an inquiry into integration and immigration, announced in August 2016. 

Welcoming the report, Professor Anthony Heath CBE FBA, said: “The British Academy welcomes the APPG’s recommendation for local authorities to draw up and implement local integration action plans with the support of an Integration Impact Fund from central Government. The Academy will be launching a new project to offer practical interventions for local authorities, businesses and voluntary sector organisations to improve social integration. This will be supported by a set of case studies on the integration experiences of recently arrived migrants, which supports the APPG’s call for more and better data.”

The British Academy project, “If you could do one thing…” Local actions to promote social integration will explore practical measures to improve social integration, within the context of competing demands for local authority funding. 

A call for evidence from interested stakeholders in policy, research and civil society will be announced in mid-January. To get the latest news from project, and to find out when and how you can contribute to the call for evidence, please sign up to the mailing list here.

To find out more about the project, please see http://www.britac.ac.uk/if-you-could-do-one-thing-local.