Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Under embargo until: 00.01hrs Tuesday 29th May 2007

Migrants, integration and local neighbourhoods: fresh evidence from three new studies

Three reports published today (29 May) by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have examined the effects of migration to Britain. The first report examined the effects of migration on neighbourhood relationships in Manchester and London, whilst the other two focussed on the experiences of East European migrants to the UK. 

The first report found that poverty can undermine neighbourhood relationships between migrants and British people. Yet the report also showed that many residents – new and established – aspired to a sense of community, valued diversity and shared many of the same concerns about their areas.

The research found that local tensions, sometimes racialised and often targeted at new migrants, were driven by struggles for resources and perceptions of unfairness. Age and gender also seemed to be factors in bringing about tensions in local relations.

The findings of the reports on East European migration make a strong case for including economic migrants in social and community cohesion strategies, even when their stay is expected to be temporary. Less than half of migrants had received practical information on arrival. This left many ignorant of the conditions attached to their immigration status, how to access health care, and what their legal rights at work are.

Overall, the immigrants interviewed were in the UK to work and had been successful in finding employment. However, many migrants’ experiences at work, which included working long hours or low pay, had a major impact on their lives beyond the workplace, restricting opportunities to improve their English or mix with British people.

Migrants found British people to be “polite but distant”. Many said they felt a sense of belonging to both the UK and their home country, but much less so to their local neighbourhoods (although this seemed to improve over time).

The findings make a strong case for addressing:

  • the most cost-effective means of ensuring that all new migrants have access to the practical information they need;
  • the accommodation of migrants in the context of wider strategies on affordable housing;
  • the barriers migrants can experience in accessing English classes;
  • the relationship between migrants and other members of the public.

JRF Director Julia Unwin said:

“Next month will see the publication of the findings from the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. These three reports suggest that the government should value migrants as more than simply an economic resource and must continue to place importance on ensuring their integration into wider British society, even when their stay is expected to be temporary.”

The three reports form part of the JRF’s Immigration and Inclusion programme which seeks to provide evidence of what is happening in local areas affected by immigration – from the perspective of both newcomers and long-term residents.

Notes to Editors:

Issued by Charlotte Morris, JRF Senior Media Relations Manager: 01904 615 919 / 020 7278 9665 charlotte.morris@jrf.org.uk

Key Findings

1a Social cohesion in diverse communities

This study explores relationships between new and established communities in two ethnically diverse neighbourhoods, drawing on discussion groups and one-to-one interviews with 60 ordinary residents from white British, Somali, black Caribbean and multiple-heritage backgrounds.

Key points:

  • Deprivation and disadvantage played a pivotal role in neighbourhood relationships:
    • Racial tensions were often driven by struggles for resources such as employment and housing.
    • Respondents talked about the ‘unfairness’ of resource allocation.
  • Inter-generational tensions reduced social cohesion as older residents often referred to a lack of respect by young people and saw young people’s relationships as the cause of ethnic tensions. In fact, young people’s changing alliances and divisions were shaped by gender and poverty issues.
  • Population turnover made it difficult for service providers to give appropriate support and could contribute to people feeling negative about their neighbourhood.

1b The experiences of Central and East European migrants in the UK

This research explores the experiences beyond the workplace of migrants from East and Central Europe working in four low-wage occupations in the UK. This is the second report from a study conducted before and after EU enlargement on 1 May 2004, which draws on a survey and interviews with over 600 migrants. It explores their access to information and to English classes, their accommodation, leisure time, social relationships and long-term intentions about staying in the UK.

Key points:

  • Migrants’ experiences at work, including low pay and long working hours, had a significant impact on their lives beyond the workplace, showing that labour market and social experiences cannot be understood or addressed in isolation.
  • A lack of practical information on arrival left many migrants ignorant of the conditions attached to their immigration status, how to access health care, where to obtain advice and their rights at work.
  • English language proficiency was a key factor in whether migrants had received the information they needed, the extent of their social contact with British people and how they felt treated by them.
    • One-third had taken English classes
    • Those with poor English were the least likely to have done so.
  • Long working hours, accessibility and cost of classes were contributory factors to this.

1c East European immigration and community cohesion

This study profiles new immigrants from five Eastern European countries living in the London Boroughs of Harrow and Hackney and the City of Brighton and Hove. It explores how the presence of these new immigrants (from Albania, Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro and Ukraine) affects community cohesion. The study involved questionnaire surveys with 388 new immigrants and 402 long-term residents in the same neighbourhoods.

Key points:

  • Generally, the immigrants interviewed were in the UK to work and had been very successful in finding employment, but in low paid work with limited occupational mobility.
  • When asked about ‘sense of belonging’, only a minority of immigrants felt they belonged to their neighbourhood (half as many as long-term residents), despite feeling they belonged to the UK as a whole (in similar proportions to long-term residents). Most felt a sense of belonging to both the UK and their home country.
  • Immigrants’ sense of belonging to the neighbourhood was positively affected by:
    • better housing status;
    • length of time in the UK;
    • plans to stay in the UK; and
    • having their children living with them.