A8 Migrants and Equality Issues Lesley Irving Equality Unit

The perspective in 2004 A8 countries joined EU – allowed to work in UK May 2004 Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia A2 – Romania and Bulgaria Jan 2007 Have to register with Workers Registration Scheme or be self employed No recourse to public funds for first 12 months Few thousand throughout UK More worried about asylum seekers from A8 countries

A Few Numbers (Two actually) c75,000 migrant workers have come to Scotland since % in Edinburgh BUT- Data poor Local knowledge better than national Mainly young, single, in employment and without children

Open Arms or You’ll have had your tea? Racist incidents down 1% 2007/8 BUT – increased in Northern, Tayside and Strathclyde Positive experiences of living and working in Scotland Scottish public more welcoming of migrants than other parts of the UK, excluding London BUT - evidence that migrants seen as a threat to jobs Anecdotal evidence of increasing tensions ‘Time for you to go home now’

Integration? Evidence that some migrants feel isolated Possibilities to integrate limited in rural communities and where migrants work long hours Larger communities and specialist services reduce need to integrate BUT – Government supporting projects aimed at integrating migrants (and asylum seekers/refugees) More research needed on barriers and facilitators to community integration, with good practice examples.

What doesn’t help Law breaking among migrant communities? Considerable anecdote and speculation Not based on evidence. Potential to influence public feeling towards migrants Undermines cohesion and may lead to hostility and abuse BUT – migrants victims of hate crime, breaches of employment law and human trafficking.

They’re all Poles No they’re not actually, though most are Lithuanians in particular fed up of being called Poles Want to be understood as different Intra community tensions as well

Is it racism? Yes – not just skin colour BUT – need to refine understanding of racism Visible and invisible minorities Backlash from visible minority ethnic groups ‘Not black enough’

We bring our attitudes with us Challenges to integration Those who experience racism can be racist too Low incidence of visible minority communities in A8 countries Attitudes to women Homophobia

Is it worth it? Yes! Boost to local economies Reverse population trend Key sectors now dependent – tourism and agriculture Threads in the tartan