From 1 August 2017, JustRight Scotland has been funded by Unbound Philanthropy to deliver a Scottish Family Reunion Legal Service in collaboration with the British Red Cross.
Unbound Philanthropy is a private grant-making foundation that works in the UK and the US to ensure that migrants and refugees are treated with respect and engage with their new communities.
Why is it needed?
The importance of the principle of family unity in times of conflict and unrest has been with us from the Second World War. We are now facing the biggest global displacement crisis since this time. In February this year, British Red Cross, Refugee Council, Oxfam and Amnesty International produced a joint briefing note highlighting the increasing plight of refugees displaced from their homes due to conflict, violence and persecution.
The briefing note made it clear that refugees living in the UK require to be able to bring their families to join them here in a safe way. Otherwise, people are forced to make difficult and dangerous choices as to whether to stay in a situation of violence or make the dangerous journey to Europe themselves. The dangers involved in such journeys have been well-publicised in recent years.
This briefing note called on the UK, at a time of record global displacement, to have processes and procedures that facilitate family reunification so that families to not require to take desperate measures in order to be together in safety.
Our newest collaboration
In response to this growing issue, Unbound Philanthropy has funded a national roll-out of family reunion work in the UK. We are delighted to have received funding from them to work with the British Red Cross in Scotland to deliver a Scottish Family Reunion Legal Service.
Working together, British Red Cross and JustRight Scotland will provide a free legal information and casework service to refugees living in Scotland who wish to bring their family members here. This service will be launched at the start of September and further details of how to access this service will be published on our websites in the coming weeks.
