Working Together: building capacity to support disabled people seeking asylum in Glasgow and beyond
Funded by the University of Glasgow’s Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund the ‘Working Together Project’ is a collaboration involving third sector organisations in Glasgow (Govan Community Project, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Just Right Scotland and the Scottish Deep End Project), community members and academics, Dr Nicola Burns and Prof Andrea Williamson. Identifying a need for training and resources for organisations supporting disabled people seeking asylum, the project involved curating resources and producing three podcasts to support learning of primary care professionals and third sector organisations.
The involvement of people with lived experience is fundamental to both migrant rights and disability rights and collaboration with community members, with the support and expertise of organisations, to develop the resources has been central to the project.
Background
Research on disability and migration has identified a lack of knowledge about disabled people’s experiences in the asylum system within public and third sector services, impacting their delivery of support and signposting to services. Key gaps identified:
- The lives of disabled people seeking asylum and their migration experiences
- Asylum system processes and evidence of need around disability
- Information gaps, legal entitlements and signposting for organisations supporting disabled people
Until recently (2022), Glasgow was the only asylum dispersal city in Scotland (COSLA). The city is also home to a higher number of disabled people than the Scottish average (GCPH, 2026). Through its established community of disability and migrant rights organisations, the city offers a unique knowledge base to support greater awareness of the lives of disabled people in the asylum system, both within and beyond Glasgow.
Listen to the Podcasts
Content warning: there are discussions of harm and distressing events in the podcasts.
Podcast 1:
Community Members and Partner organisations discuss the barriers encountered by disabled people in the asylum system and offer advice and guidance for organisations. (approx. 42 minutes)
Podcast 2:
Dr Nicola Burns joins Andy Sirel (Legal Director JustRight Scotland) and Professor Andrea Williamson (Professor of General Practice and Inclusion Health, University of Glasgow) to discuss legal rights and entitlements of disabled people in the asylum system and how GPs can support patients. (approx. 55 minutes)
Podcast 3:
Dr Nicola Burns provides an executive summary of Podcast Two. (approx. 25 minutes)
Accompanying Resources
Poverty Alliance Report - Research from Rights to Realisation
GPs at the Scottish Deep End report, language and cultural health inequalities
Doctors of the World - Safe Surgeries Initiative
E-Learning - RCGP Fairer Practice Initiative
Project Leads Contact information:
If you have any questions, comments or are interested in future collaborations on this topic please contact:
Dr Nicky Burns: Nicola.burns@glasgow.ac.uk
Prof Andrea Williamson: Andrea.williamson@glasgow.ac.uk