The Refugee Council in partnership with Age Concern England, Age Concern London and the Greater London Association of Older Women (AGLOW) held a conference Older Refugees: From isolation to integration on 09 January 2008.
Not enough is known about the needs of older refugees and how intersecting factors, such as age, migration status, gender and ethnicity impact on people’s lives, and how these can best be taken into account when devising services and policies.
Older refugees are often particularly vulnerable as they are seldom recognised as having specific needs or for the contributions that they can make to the wider society. They become isolated as a result of their refugee status and because there are fewer engagement opportunities open to older people.
Older refugees programme
This ground breaking conference was a culmination of the Older Refugees Programme - a 2-year partnership initiative, funded by Lloyds TSB, between the Refugee Council, Age Concern England, Age Concern London and the Greater London Association of Older Women (AGLOW), focusing on the issues, challenges and service needs of older refugees and asylum-seekers.
The conference, kindly hosted by the Mayor of London and free to attend, presented the findings and key messages from the programme. The day offered a unique opportunity to explore how existing and potential initiatives can help to reduce the isolation experienced by many older refugees and promote their integration in to the local community and wider society.
More information
Download a copy of the conference report (PDF)
To read a copy of the report published for the meeting, go to:
A Working Paper for the Older Refugees Programme – A Literature Review and Interviews with Refugees [January 2008]
Archive
You can also peruse the conference brochure (PDF).
