Community groups holding together vital integration services across Scotland and Ireland are being stretched to breaking point by insecure funding, excessive bureaucracy and governments that repeatedly fail to act on what migrant and diaspora communities tell them.

That’s the finding from new research in a joint project by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Maynooth University, that found community organisations are helping people access essential services, find work, develop skills and build a sense of belonging. 

However, researchers warn that many of these groups – which provide practical support, create shared spaces and help people develop a sense of belonging – are being held back by short-term competitive funding, repeated consultations without visible outcomes and a disconnect between government policy and the experience of communities.

The briefing draws on two workshops involving non-governmental organisations, civil servants, public-sector representatives, researchers and frontline practitioners from Scotland and Ireland. Participants included people working through local integration services, health and social care partnerships and community organisations.

Professor Murray Leith, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Migration, Diaspora, Citizenship and Identity at UWS, said: “Across Scotland and Ireland, grassroots organisations really underpin the day-to-day work that makes integration possible.

They help people meet basic needs, understand new systems, find opportunities and build relationships within their communities. They also create trusted spaces where people feel safe and able to ask for help.

“But many of these organisations are being asked to deliver long-term change using short-term funding. That makes it difficult to retain experienced staff and plan services around what communities actually need.”

Participants stressed that people cannot be expected to engage fully in community life until fundamental needs such as secure housing, healthcare, safety and legal certainty have been addressed.

The research also found that successful integration often happens through ordinary, repeated interactions rather than occasional festivals or formal initiatives. Shared meals, sport, arts, crafts and other activities in shared spaces can help people from different backgrounds form relationships and overcome fear or mistrust.

Grassroots diaspora organisations also help people develop what the briefings describe as “blended identities” allowing them to feel Scottish or Irish while also maintaining a connection to their heritage and original homeland identity.

Professor Mary Gilmartin of Maynooth University said: “Belonging is not created by a single policy or one-off event. It grows through everyday contact, stable relationships and places where people feel welcome and secure.

Our discussions showed the depth of knowledge and experience within diaspora and community organisations. Yet these organisations are too often treated simply as groups to be consulted, rather than as partners with an important role in shaping policy.

“If governments want integration policies to work, communities and frontline practitioners must be involved from the beginning. They should have a meaningful say in how policies are designed, delivered and evaluated.”

The reports identify a significant gap between government strategy and frontline delivery in both countries.

Participants in Scotland described “consultation fatigue”, caused by being repeatedly asked for their views without seeing clear evidence of change. In Ireland, frontline workers reported sometimes learning about policy developments through media coverage or political leaks rather than through direct communication from government departments.

The briefing also highlights the unequal levels of support for different groups of refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as policy challenges specific to each country.

In Scotland, participants pointed to tensions created by immigration and asylum policy being reserved to the UK Government while responsibility for social integration is devolved. In Ireland, they highlighted the lack of an up-to-date national integration strategy and the difficulties caused by temporary accommodation and uncertainty.

Dr Emilia Pietka-Nykaza, Senior Lecturer at UWS added: “Although immigration laws and policy frameworks differ significantly between Scotland and Ireland, practitioners in both countries conveyed a remarkably consistent message:

“The systems within which third sector organisations operate can make this unnecessarily difficult. We need to move beyond repeatedly asking communities to identify the problems and instead give them a meaningful role in developing the solutions”

The researchers are calling for longer-term and more flexible funding, clearer communication between governments and frontline organisations, and better coordination between housing, health, employment and legal-status policies.

They also recommend creating permanent ways for diaspora organisations and local practitioners to contribute to policymaking, with transparent feedback showing how their evidence has influenced decisions.

Dr Zoe O’Reilly, researcher at Maynooth University added: “Supporting these organisations helps strengthen relationships and contributes to the social and economic wellbeing of the places in which they operate.

“We now have an opportunity to learn from each other and develop approaches that recognise community organisations as an essential part of building a more connected society.”

Diaspora Community Engagement and Social Cohesion: Reframing Engagement for Community Futures in Ireland and Scotland can be downloaded here.

The research relates to UN Sustainable Development Goals 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).