On behalf of EVOC, and in particular reflecting the voices and experiences of the New Scots Integration Network, we welcome and strongly support the recent Edinburgh Council Motion condemning disorder and threatening behaviour on our streets.
We unequivocally condemn the violence and intimidation witnessed across the city over the past week. These actions are fundamentally at odds with the inclusive, welcoming and diverse Edinburgh that individuals, communities and organisations work every day to build and sustain.
The New Scots Integration Network brings together organisations and community groups working closely with refugees, people seeking asylum and migrant communities across the city. Our partners have seen first-hand the distress and fear caused when global events are used to justify division, hostility or exclusion at a local level.
Partners have shared accounts of service users experiencing harassment, theft and intimidation. In one community garden, women and children were reportedly subjected to harassment by groups describing themselves as carrying out ‘garden surveillance’, with people of colour specifically targeted. Another saw a service user attacked and robbed at a bus stop. Such incidents are deeply concerning and wholly unacceptable in a city that aspires to be welcoming and safe for all.
Alongside the impact on individuals and communities, the current climate is placing increasing pressure on those organisations delivering essential services. Members of the Integration Network have reported staff feeling intimidated, additional security measures being required for public events, and growing concern about the impact on wellbeing and mental health. These pressures make it more difficult for organisations to provide the support that communities need.
We welcome the motion’s recognition that Edinburgh’s diverse communities make a vital and positive contribution to the city’s cultural, social and economic life. Last week’s events as part of Refugee Festival Scotland provided a powerful reminder that integration, as a two-way process, strengthens communities and enriches civic life for everyone.
Organisations involved in New Scots integration, refugee support, anti-racism work or wider community cohesion are warmly invited to join the New Scots Integration Network. The Network provides a space to share information, strengthen partnerships, coordinate responses to emerging issues, and work collectively. EVOC is committed to working with the third sector and communities to ensure Edinburgh is a welcoming and inclusive city for all.
Registering for the Edinburgh New Scots Integration Network – Fill in form
As a Network, we remain committed to working in partnership with the Council, communities and wider stakeholders to strengthen cohesion, challenge misinformation, and ensure that Edinburgh remains a city where everyone, regardless of background, feels safe, valued and able to belong.
If you have experienced or witnessed a hate crime, we encourage you to contact Police Scotland.
- In an emergency, call 999.
- For non-emergencies, call 101, report in person at any police station, or complete Police Scotland’s online Hate Crime Reporting Form.
- You can also report through a Third Party Reporting Centre.
- If you wish to report anonymously, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this statement, support is available through organisations including:
- SCORE Scotland: www.scorescotland.org.uk
- ELREC: www.elrec.org.uk
- Passion4Fusion: www.passion4fusion.com
- Project Esperanza: www.projectesperanza.org.uk
