FOI/202600517295 · FOI · partially withheld
Communications between First Minister and refugee charities: FOI release
Information requested
1. All emails, letters, WhatsApp messages, and meeting notes between the First Minister’s office (including the First Minister, his private office, and special advisers) and refugee charities in Scotland from January 2023 to present.
2. Please include communications with (but not limited to): Scottish Refugee Council, Refugee Survival Trust, Scottish Asylum Seekers Consortium, and any other major refugee charities.
Response
I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in the format you asked for.
Correspondence Type Title Document number Letter from First Minister to AUGB Edinburgh 2025 Third Commemoration Service - Edinburgh Castle - March 2025 1 Email to First Minister from AUGB Edinburgh 2025 Edinburgh AUGB 2 Invitation from AUGB Edinburgh to First Minister 2025 Ukraine Independence Day 2025 - Invite to attend 3 Letter from British Red Cross to First Minister 2023 British Red Cross to First Minister of Scotland 4 Invitation from Glasgow Afghan United to First Minister Glasgow Afghan United Invitation 4th September 5:30pm, Scottish Parliament, Burns Room 5 Invitation from Glasgow Afghan United to First Minister Invitation to the First Minister – Burns & Rumi Supper 2026: “Scotland Is Our Home” 6 Invitation from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister Scottish Refugee Council - Invitation to New Scots Leadership graduation 7 Invitation from Mission of Innocents to First Minister You’re invited: Opening of the Mission of Innocents Creative Arts Centre in Edinburgh 8 Invitation from Afghanistan & Central Asian Association to First Minister Invitation: ACAA Refugee Week Festival 2026 – Theme: Courage 9 Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council- Invitation to open SRC Office Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council- Invitation to open SRC Office 10 Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to FM – Invitation to open SRC Office Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to FM – Invitation to open SRC Office 11 Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council – Invitation to Holyrood Reception Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council – Invitation to Holyrood Reception 12 Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister – Invitation to Holyrood Reception Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister – Invitation to Holyrood Reception 13 Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council Correspondence from First Minister – Sabir Zazai 14 Letter from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to First Minister Letter – UNCHR to First Minister of Scotland – Thank You 15 Letter to UKG and Scottish Government Open Letter to Scottish Government and UK Government – Refugee Homelessness EXEMPT Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister SRC Letter to First Minister 27/01/25 17 Letter from British Red Cross to First Minister British Red Cross Letter Attachment related to Document 4 18
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. email addresses, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
Some of the information you have requested is available from Open Letter to Scottish and UK Govts - Refugee Homelessness - Shelter Scotland. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
Correspondence Type Title Document number Letter from First Minister to AUGB Edinburgh 2025 Third Commemoration Service - Edinburgh Castle - March 2025 1 Email to First Minister from AUGB Edinburgh 2025 Edinburgh AUGB 2 Invitation from AUGB Edinburgh to First Minister 2025 Ukraine Independence Day 2025 - Invite to attend 3 Letter from British Red Cross to First Minister 2023 British Red Cross to First Minister of Scotland 4 Invitation from Glasgow Afghan United to First Minister Glasgow Afghan United Invitation 4th September 5:30pm, Scottish Parliament, Burns Room 5 Invitation from Glasgow Afghan United to First Minister Invitation to the First Minister – Burns & Rumi Supper 2026: “Scotland Is Our Home” 6 Invitation from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister Scottish Refugee Council - Invitation to New Scots Leadership graduation 7 Invitation from Mission of Innocents to First Minister You’re invited: Opening of the Mission of Innocents Creative Arts Centre in Edinburgh 8 Invitation from Afghanistan & Central Asian Association to First Minister Invitation: ACAA Refugee Week Festival 2026 – Theme: Courage 9 Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council- Invitation to open SRC Office Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council- Invitation to open SRC Office 10 Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to FM – Invitation to open SRC Office Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to FM – Invitation to open SRC Office 11 Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council – Invitation to Holyrood Reception Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council – Invitation to Holyrood Reception 12 Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister – Invitation to Holyrood Reception Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister – Invitation to Holyrood Reception 13 Letter from First Minister to Scottish Refugee Council Correspondence from First Minister – Sabir Zazai 14 Letter from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to First Minister Letter – UNCHR to First Minister of Scotland – Thank You 15 Letter to UKG and Scottish Government Open Letter to Scottish Government and UK Government – Refugee Homelessness EXEMPT Letter from Scottish Refugee Council to First Minister SRC Letter to First Minister 27/01/25 17 Letter from British Red Cross to First Minister British Red Cross Letter Attachment related to Document 4 18 An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. email addresses, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you.