Migration and Health in Birmingham Dr Beck Taylor Public Health

Birmingham has a long history of economic migration… 3

Total International Migration to/from UK,

Changes in the population Estimated increase of ~50 persons each day in West Midlands 1 in 19 UK workers is a foreign national Around 5,000 children arrived in Birmingham with their parents since 2004

Birmingham Population Dynamics Foreign Workers Asylum Applicants (up to 50 per wk) 20 – 30K refugees 30K ‘irregular’ immigrants / failed asylum seekers 9K3K ~90% of applications fail ? number ‘removed’? Add to existing population

Distribution of population

What is the health impact? Socioeconomic effects poor health Health inequalities widened Infant mortality, life expectancy Specific issues with asylum seekers and human rights

Local issues Increasing destitution Children at risk Women and babies at risk Changing service use (TOP) Emergency care under pressure Infectious disease services Language and translation Other sectors also under pressure (schools, Social Services etc.)

Impact upon inequalities and other agendas Life expectancy Infant mortality Poverty Unemployment Access Human rights Equality and diversity Social inclusion

Existing research Qualitative research Anecdotal evidence Needs assessment from elsewhere Routine local and national data sources (police, NHS, Social Services, Immigration) A review will quantify and locate the impact

Will a review culminate in recommendations? Changes to mainstream services (size, access, location, language, training…) Groups/areas to target (we know how, but not who or where)

Birmingham needs a Migrant Health Review To understand the scale of the impact on health and services Evidence of negative effects on patients and services, plus inequalities in provision Growing number of vulnerable, potentially destitute people living in Birmingham It is essential that we understand our population if we are to serve them effectively and plan for the future

“…they have enriched our culture and our knowledge of other ways at looking at life, at the same time the life experience of those very same communities has been enriched by their new home. We sometimes forget that cultural pluralism is a two-way streak; it is an experience we all benefit from.” Councillor Alan Rudge Cabinet Member for Equalities and Human Resources