Community Cohesion and Integration Inquiry

Response from the East of England Development Agency

 

1. Introduction

 

1.1 In recent years there has been a steady increase in the numbers of migrant workers coming to the East of England, making an essential on-going contribution to the success of the region's economy.

 

1.2 Following a recommendation within the region's Social Strategy, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) began to develop a research programme focused on developing a better understanding of the employment patterns of migrant workers in the East of England.

 

1.3 In 2004EEDA commissioned London Metropolitan University to undertake a major research project. The project made a significant contribution to the development of a strategic response to the numbers of migrant workers coming to the region by providing as detailed as possible an account of migrant worker trends in the East of England; offering an extensive account of the actual experiences of migrant workers; and presenting recommendations for public policy intervention at local, regional, national level and, in some cases, European level.

 

1.4 The report led to the establishment of a regional migrant worker steering group, chaired by EEDA. This group has guided EEDAs migrant worker programme, which has included the following initiatives:

· An EEDA funded Migrant Worker Information and Advice Gateway for workers and employers in the region (through a dedicated phone line for migrants available in 6 languages, a phone line for employers and a web portal)

· An EEDA supported regional interpreter training project

· An EEDA funded studentship at Anglia Ruskin University to provide up to date analysis of numbers and trends in migrant workers in the region

· EEDA working with partners in the East of England, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria and Poland in the only successful UK application to the 'EU year of worker mobility' to provide 'know before you go' information to migrant workers - linked to the Information Gateway project

 

1.5 EEDA is continuing to coordinate the region's response to migrant worker issues and recently led on the organisation of a national Migrant Worker conference on 22 November 2007. The conference endorsed EEDA's role in co-ordinating cross regional and national work in this area. The conference backed calls for more joined up working across central government and the regions; for better migration and population data to enable better service planning and for a national information portal

 

2. The effect of recent inward migration on community cohesion, and public concerns about this effect

 

2.1 Inward migration in the East of England has had most impact in areas that have seen a rapid increase in the numbers of migrants in a relatively short period of time. Inevitably, this has occurred in communities where there are already established issues for the local community in: accessing public services, for example registering with doctors/dentists; employment or availability of housing.

 

2.2 Public concerns about migrants are influenced by many factors. The portrayal of immigration in the media, public comments from elected and un-elected officials and the perceived impact that migrants have on public services all play a part; it is rare that the media cover stories that reflect the positive impact migrants have on the communities they join. The reality is that integration of migrants into a community is a complex issue and one that should be discussed in context, within fora designed to improve the lives of migrants and the existing community.

 

2.3 The New Link Project in Peterborough has a strong record in tackling issues around community cohesion. This project is supported by EEDA through its investing in communities programme and is due to be visited by members of the select committee. An outline document is attached.

 

 

3. The role, responsibilities and actions of different bodies on community cohesion and migration, including those of local and central government and of employers

 

3.1 The third sector in the East of England undertakes a lot of positive work to address the needs of migrants and the communities that they join. However, the sector suffers from limited resources and often works within a politically unsupportive environment. Voluntary sector organisations should be encouraged to work with each other and to share resources, including information, in order to promote the work that they do, provide a voice for migrants and support migrant communities to find and use their own voice in the medium to longer term. Advice for Life, Community Action Dacorum and Keystone Development Trust are all examples of VSOs doing just this.

 

3.2 In the East of England, in areas where there has been a greater number of migrants arriving (including places where turnover is rapid even if absolute numbers are never very high per se), it has been our experience that local government has taken some action. Sometimes this has been very positive and timely and sometimes not. Local authorities should work with central government and other agencies to plan their response to the needs of migrants and the communities they live in for the short, medium and long term. There is a need for local government to be more proactive in their response and take the lead in welcoming new arrivals to the region.

 

3.3 It is widely recognised that there is an economic benefit to the regional economy as a result of increased migration in recent years. While this may also have placed some additional pressure on services it is not by any means the only pressure that services are under and should not be presented as such; something which the media are often guilty of doing.

 

3.4 Local and central government need to do a lot more to dispel the myths surrounding migration by being very clear about what is actually happening and putting that into the wider context. Central government can support this by providing clearer and more consistent messages across government about migrants and the contribution that they can and do make to communities across the United Kingdom. Currently, migration is presented very much as something that needs to be controlled in order to reduce the negative. Rather, it should be presented as a prospect to be managed in order to maximise the opportunities and the benefits. Local, regional and national agencies should be supported to address the issues surrounding migration. The new migration department in the Department for Communities and Local Government is a positive step and hopefully the beginning of a more welcoming and pro-active stance by government towards migrants.

 

3.5 Individual employers have rarely spoken out about the importance of migration to their businesses. The single most frequent reason given to us for this is because of the negative press they feel they might encounter as a result. Through the experience of EEDA and partners we know that migrants have provided a pool of willing and able labour that is in demand in the East of England and in doing so they have enabled businesses to grow. Employers and their representative organisations are willing to engage with EEDA on the topic of migrant workers but frequently feel discouraged from doing so as a result of the media and political climate.

 

3.6 Through the transnational project mentioned above, EEDA has worked with employers to explain the importance of migrants to their businesses. A DVD is being produced to share with other employers as a way to disseminate this message. EEDA has begun working with employers across the region to address their reluctance to speak publicly on this topic and will focus its work on this in the coming months. Failing to address these issues would risk important investment and growth in the regional economy as businesses may look to relocate elsewhere to a location where the required labour is more easily accessible.

 

 

4. The effectiveness of local and central government action and expenditure in promoting community cohesion and responding to inward migration flows, with particular regard to the following:

- areas that have experienced rapid increases in new inward migration;

- areas that have a lack of experience of diversity;

- areas where new migrant communities mix with existing settled migrant communities.

 

4.1 As in other regions across the UK, it is widely recognised in the East of England that multi-agency approaches are most effective. Often however, funding and resources target the same areas in the same manner without a great deal of consideration being given to how agencies and organisations can co-ordinate their approaches for maximum effect. In the East of England we are trying to ensure that, as much as possible, agencies work together to address the key issues around migration.

 

4.2 In 2005, EEDA published the research report 'Migrant Workers in the East of England', which identified the five key issues - access to information; access to services; housing issues; skills issues related to language skills and difficulties in gaining re-qualifications, and research related to the level of information about migrant working.

 

4.3 Resources should be used to bring together the correct mix of people and skills to appropriately address the issues faced by migrants and the communities they join. Co-ordination and co-operation is key; statutory agencies may have the remit and experience to act, the third sector the community links and trust that is vital to success as well as flexibility in speed of response, and the private sector the resources required to make things happen. Partnerships across all three sectors could be very effective with each sector bringing a different skill set to the mix.

 

4.4 In addition to co-ordination and co-operation, it is important that action is taken at an appropriate level as there is a role for national, regional and local interventions. For example, a centrally (nationally) provided pool of information - in appropriate languages - that is accessible to regional and local service providers as well as to individuals would be extremely valuable. Regional and local services could then provide additional relevant information for their locality.

 

4.5 In EEDA we have taken a strategic approach by addressing the issues raised in research and then bringing together the relevant organisations to look at those issues in more detail. This strategic partnership is linked to grass-roots activity through 13 sub-regional multi-agency fora each of which comprises statutory and third sector organisations and sometimes private sector organisations too. Issues and concerns are fed up to the regional partnership which then raises them with government, partners in other regions and so on. This approach has to lead to specific outcomes, e.g. the pilot information portal project which is delivered by the third sector and provides information to migrants and employers through a combination of website and telephone help lines. Migrants and employers are involved in delivery and evaluation of the work to ensure that it responds to need over its lifetime. There is potential for this to become a national model if funding is made available from central government.

 

 

5. The role of the English language as a tool in promoting the integration of migrants

 

5.1 English language is vital if migrants are going to gain and provide maximum benefit from their time in the UK. It is vital that English language training is delivered in ways that are of greatest benefit to the learner. This includes issues of access, content, language of delivery and so on. A separate document is attached bringing together what has been learned about this issue in the East of England.

 

5.2 To maximise the efficiency of English language learning it is essential that services are bespoke to local community and individual needs. Often the language learning service offered is what is available rather than what is effective or appropriate.

 

5.3 Many migrants are here for economic benefit - generally that means employment. Place of work is therefore a great opportunity for people to learn and to integrate, perhaps more so than outside of work. While the new ESOL for work qualifications may be a step in the right direction, they are not necessarily at the appropriate level for many learners. Often people want very basic help in order to build confidence to try speaking English and once they have that opportunity and are supported to use their new language skills, then they are more likely to be able to take advantage of the mainstream / off-the-peg courses that are more widely available.

 

5.4 Sometimes the initial learning may have to be 1:1 or in non-open access groups to address some of the barriers to accessing language tuition that exist. For example, individuals may have been out of education for a long time or have literacy difficulties in their own language that need to be addressed first. Likewise there are cultural issues where, for example, women may not wish to attend classes at which men are also present.

 

 

6. The impact of recent migration on local communities, including the impact on housing, education, health care, and other public services

 

6.1 If work is to be done on housing then it needs to look at migration's impact on demand for housing as well as the supply of housing. A piece of work being prepared in the East of England suggests that the demand for social housing from the migrant community is negligible and that the vast majority of migrants access housing in the private rented sector (PRS). It also points out that in line with the target of 350,000 new homes to be built in this region by 2020, in excess of 100,000 individuals will be required to work in construction. Some of these people will inevitably be migrants. The latest draft of this work is attached with a final version due to be published in late February.

 

6.2 A similar situation exists with other services. The media has presented stories indicating that migrants place undue pressure on accident and emergency departments. However, if new arrivals are not familiar with the GP as gateway to health services (due to lack of information) it is unsurprising that they choose to access services via the accident and emergency unit of their local hospital. Various reports (such as Crossing Borders,Audit Commission 2007; Migrants' lives beyond the workplace, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2007) have shown that the demand for health and education services is lower among migrants than local communities because they are generally young and healthy adults. We should also remember that many health workers are also migrants and they are needed to ensure delivery of services within the NHS.

 

6.3 In all of these public service areas there needs to be a balance between public perception, reality and practical solutions.

 

 

7. Actions to take forward the Commission on Integration and Cohesion's recommendations relating to migration

 

7.1 The single most important action is for the government to be much clearer and more consistent in its messages about integration of, and cohesion with, new migrants, whoever they are and for however long they choose to come and live and work in the UK. The Department for Communities and Local Government should be leading on this. What is required is a much more co-ordinated approach at the national and regional level with 'good practice' being independently reviewed and evaluated so that it can be identified and promoted. Government should consider a cohesion and integration impact evaluation of all proposed action or policy.

 

7.2 To address the Commission's specific recommendation for a sample welcome pack - this has already been addressed in our region. The East of England is due to publish an interactive guide to welcome packs in late January based on a review of examples from across the East of England and the UK in general. Future investment should be focused on providing national level information centrally and in key languages for everyone to access. The idea of a national information portal was promoted at a Migrant Worker conference on 22 November 2007 and was widely agreed to be a good idea. DCLG could provide seed money to take this forward by tasking EEDA, who are already leading on this subject, with developing that national portal in partnership with other regional and national partners.

 

7.3 Government policy on the funding of ESOL should be reviewed. English language training should be delivered in ways that are accessible and appropriate to learners' needs and appropriate to their dependence on language for cohesion and integration, both within and outside of the workplace.

 

7.4 All government departments should make their administrative data available to the (soon to be) independent Statistics Board to facilitate the improvement of population and migration statistics.