Meeting of the CPG on Migration Date: 4 October 2022 Location: Committee Room 6, with the option to join via Microsoft Teams MSP attendance: • Paul Sweeney MSP • Bob Doris MSP • Mark Ruskell MSP Non-MSP attendance: • Transport Scotland • Erin, Office of Paul Sweeney MSP • Lorna, Office of Mark Ruskell MSP • Maryhill Integration Network • VOICES Network • Welsh Refugee Council • Poverty Alliance • JustRight Scotland • Freedom from Torture • Refugees for Justice • Community Infosource • Govan Community Project • Aileen Harding, Scottish Government • Friends of Scottish Settlers • LGBT Health • Refugee Survival Trust • Migrants Organise for Rights and Empowerment • Destitution Action • Church of Scotland • Isaias Tsegay • Lawon Andeniyi • Una Lees • Ellen McGeough Apologies • UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts, Professor Alison Phipps • Traci, Govan Community Project • Savan, Refugees for Justice Topics discussed: • Pilot of Free Bus Travel for People Seeking Asylum – Wales o Presentation from Andrea Cleaver at Welsh Refugee Council on learnings from the pilot. • Campaign - Free Bus Travel for People Seeking Asylum in Scotland o Update on the campaign for free bus travel and lived experience from Simon, ambassador from VOICES Network and Sekou from Maryhill Integration Network Voices. o Members with lived experience shared their own experience and outlined the change this could make to their lives. • Impact of cost-of-living crisis o Research from Poverty Alliance on the impact of the cost-of- living crisis on women’s experience, acute impact on people seeking asylum who have no access to cost-of-living support. • Can this be done in Scotland?