The role of nature in migrant integration in the UK

Migrants make up a significant portion of the UK’s
population, accounting for approximately 14% of
those born overseas (Vargas-Silva & Rienzo, 2020).
Furthermore, given the socio-political tensions arising
from Brexit and ‘Hostile Environment’ policy, there
has been a growing need for innovative integration
approaches, particularly at the local level (Sobolewska &
Ford, 2020; Vargas-Silva & Rienzo, 2020). However, due
to austerity measures, funding for integration initiatives
has been limited, leading to a shift towards costeffective, community-led solutions (Phillimore, 2020).
In this context, nature-based integration emerges as an
untapped resource for facilitating integration.
Our project ‘Nature-based integration: connecting
communities with/in nature’ (NBI)1
identified how
nature engagement impacts positively and uniquely on
fundamental domains of integration as recognised in
the Home Office’s Indicators of Integration (NdoforTah, et al., 2019), such as social connections, stability,
culture, health and leisure. This project funded by
Nuffield Foundation and the British Academy was led by
senior researchers from Anglia Ruskin University and
Kingston University who engaged an interdisciplinary
and cross-sectoral team consisting of academics, artists,
policymakers, practitioners, and community members
in an innovative and interdisciplinary, participatory
research approach across three distinct UK case study
regions.
Our project addresses a key gap in knowledge by
engaging with multi-directional integration processes
in local communities, whilst bringing together existing
knowledge, addressing gaps, and translating findings into
policy and practice relevant especially to a UK context.