COSLA Project Team

The COSLA Project Team is responsible for developing a wide-ranging and innovative policy agenda that addresses the most pressing issues in relation to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Policy initiatives are taken to the CSMP Board (to which the project team provides the secretariat function) or through COSLA’s political structures for debate and consideration, after which approved policies will be progressed or implemented.

The Project Team also represents COSLA externally, offering strategic advice at a number of forums and through attendance at a number of working groups. These include:

Scottish Asylum Stakeholder Forum
National Asylum Stakeholder Forum
Local Government Association Task Group
National Migration Group
Migration Impacts Forum (Senior Management)
Family Returns Project Team
UASC Reform Working Group
Scottish Government Demography Analytical Working Group
UKBA Stakeholder Group – Enforcing the Laws
UKBA Managed Migration Stakeholder Group
Scottish Government Human Trafficking Stakeholder Group

More broadly, the Project Team offers advice, guidance and assistance to local authorities, the media and other agencies who have enquiries about refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

The team currently consists of the following five officers, who are based in the COSLA Glasgow office.

Derek Mitchell
CSMP Manager
derek@cosla.gov.uk

Mhoraig Green
CSMP Policy Manager
mhoraig@cosla.gov.uk

Eni Bankole
CSMP Policy Manager
eni@cosla.gov.uk

Lorraine Cook
CSMP Policy Officer
lorraine@cosla.gov.uk

Laura Jamieson
CSMP Policy Officer
laura@cosla.gov.uk