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Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

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Question reference: S6W-09786

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 21 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had or plans to have with (a) ethnic and religious minority communities, and (b) refugees and asylum seekers, in order to improve how it can support these communities following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government recognises that a number of Scotland’s communities have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, and are committed to engaging effectively with communities to ensure they are supported following the pandemic.

The Covid Recovery Strategy focusses on addressing systemic inequalities that were exacerbated during the pandemic. The strategy was informed by a series of engagement sessions with a range of partners, including the Scottish Refugee Council and Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with minority ethnic communities as part of our ongoing work on race equality and developing anti-racist infrastructure. Furthermore, the Scottish Government funds 14 race equality organisations, who undertake engagement and consultation with communities as part of their work.

We will also continue to engage with refugee and asylum seeking communities as part of our work to support integration from day one. We have committed to work with our partners to develop the next New Scots refugee integration strategy, and will identify opportunities to enable refugees and people seeking asylum to engage in that process and inform the next strategy.

A faith and belief representatives group now meets on a monthly basis to identify areas of common interest and consider input to policy development on a wide range of topics. A new Faith and Belief Engagement Strategy is currently being developed to foster deeper understanding between government and faith and belief communities, which will empower faith and belief communities to be active partners in Covid recovery.