Micro-level initiatives to facilitate the integration of resettled refugees

Integration, a two-way process involving refugees and the host population, is a politically contentious issue. Successful integration of newcomers in a receiving community is required to create a cohesive society. Yet, there is still little understanding of how integration strategies are employed at a community level. This paper explores how micro-level activities such as education in local schools, lifelong learning and community activities delivered within the council area influence integration of refugees. It is based on a case study of one of the Scottish councils which decided to welcome Syrian refugees in 2015 and had no prior experience of refugees- relocation. The findings showed the role of micro-level initiatives in the successful integration and proved that even a council with no prior experience of relocating refugees could build a cohesive community upon their arrival.