Migration policy, racism and inequality in Scotland

“It strikes me that too often we seek comfort in a Scottish consensus that we are all Jock Tamsons’s  bairns – citizens of a fair and equal nation. We like to think we are free of racism and other inequalities because we prefer that to the truth.  In order to live up to our own self image we have to make the sentiment of our songs real, and openly say ‘this Scotland is not good enough’ , and then work to make it better. Our welcome and behaviour towards newcomers is only the starting point.”

Morag Alexander, Scotland Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Worker Registration Scheme extended for 2 years

Despite evidence that the Worker Registration Scheme leads to violations of human rights, putting vulnerable workers at more risk of exploitation and abuse, the UK Government has decided to extend the scheme for a further two years.

In a press release issued today, Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas was “delighted to announce keeping in place restrictions … which limit Eastern Europeans’ access to benefits.”

This means that people from eight European Union countries can (for a fee of £90) continue to excercise their rights as EU citizens to work and pay taxes in the UK, but, unlike UK citizens working in Europe, will have no right to state assistance should they need it.

So the worker who loses his job may become homeless and destitute, with no housing benefit of homeless assistance while he looks for work. And the woman with a violent partner may find no sanctuary. These are just two of the examples highlighted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commision in it’s evidence to the Migration Advisory Committee, calling for the WRS to be scrapped.

The UK will become one of only five of the 27 EU member states to keep restrictions on the rights of “A8” nationals, those citizens of the countries which joined the European Union in 2004 (the other countries with restrictions are Denmark, Belgium, Austria and Germany).

Research: Migrant impact on UK jobs and wages negligible

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has published a new study suggesting that European migration since EU expansion in 2004  has had no negative impact on either UK employment levels or wages – in fact there may have been a small positive impact.

The Economic Impacts of Migration on the UK Labour Market study is based largely on data from the Labour Force Survey and Department for Work and Pensions figures on national insurance numbers from 2001 to 2007, as well as a review of the existing literature and economic theory.

EU states open up to Bulgarian, Romanian workers

The New Year has brought with it the lifting of restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers in Greece, Spain and Denmark, but a number of EU states will be keeping barriers to their labour markets for three more years.

Greece on Wednesday (31 December) became the latest “old” EU member to lift restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers, following Spain and Denmark which set the example earlier in December.

December 18 is International Migrants Day

On 4 December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day (resolution 55/93). On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (resolution 45/158).

As the 9th International Migrants Day is marked this Thursday, the head of the International Labor Organization (ILO) cautioned rich economies against taking hasty action on migrant workers as part of measures taken to mitigate the financial crisis.

In a statement, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia warned:

The current global financial and economic crises have serious implications for migrant workers worldwide. Past experience makes us painfully aware that migrant workers, especially women workers and those in irregular status, are among the hardest hit and most vulnerable during crisis situations.

Director-General Juan Somavia added:

“It is important that migrant workers do not become scapegoats for the current financial and economic crisis”

more info and full statement at: www.ilo.org

also see: www.december18.net

The picture is grim for Europe’s Roma

David Mark, co-ordinator of the European Roma Policy Coalition, writing in EUobserver

With global markets shattered and far-right groups gaining strength across the continent, anti-Gypsism has risen dramatically this past year. Living often on the fringes of society, Roma have been the target of racist violence across Europe, with attacks this autumn in Italy, Czech Republic, and Hungary.

read full article…

IPPR Report on The local economics of migration

Your Place or Mine? The local economics of migration

This working paper, published 4th September 2008, is the first from ippr’s Economics of Migration project.

The project aims to improve understanding of the economic impacts of migration in the UK, and how policy should respond to that migration in order to maximise its economic benefits, and minimise its costs.

This paper makes clear the variety of ways in which migration may have affected local firms and economies. While some impacts of migration – such as filling local skills gaps – are quite visible, migration also affects local economies in less noticeable ways, such as by boosting local markets. The paper brings these out, and underlines the importance of looking at migration’s longer-term impacts in local areas, as well as its short-term effects.

Read the IPPR press release here or click here to download the report pdf from IPPR website

Population: size isn’t everything

Debate about the UK’s growing population must move beyond statistics: we must maximise the benefits of migration, writes Jill Rutter of IPPR.

Once again, the release of Office for National Statistics (ONS) and European population projections has caused a flurry of anti-migration commentary in sectors of the media less comfortable with ethnic diversity. These population statistics predict that the population of the UK and France will rise, while the population of Germany and many eastern European countries will shrink.

…a fresh approach is needed when considering the implications of projected population growth in the UK. Rather than contesting statistics we need to consider the future impacts of migration on economic and social development, both for the UK and globally.

read the full article…

Employers, migration and the ‘diversity dividend’ – IPPR

Government, local authorities and employers have underestimated the economic benefits that migrants bring to local economies, according to a new report to be published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) in September.

The report, which looks at the local economic impacts of migration, argues that discussion about local economic impacts tend to focus on just a few issues such as public services and wages, neglecting many positive contributions that migrants bring to local economies.

ippr’s report sets out the three different ways in which migration has a positive affect on local economies. These include:

• improving the ‘skills mix’ in an area,
• increasing an area’s diversity, and
• changing the size and productivity of local economies.

The report shows that migrants play a key role in changing the local ‘skills mix’ by filling skills gaps, and doing jobs that UK workers don’t want to do. ippr argues that local government and employers need to ensure that the benefits produced by employing migrant workers are accompanied by local strategies to ensure that indigenous workers’ wages and job opportunities aren’t damaged; and to ensure local businesses don’t become overly reliant on migrant workers.

ippr says that employers benefit from diversity because diverse workforces tend to be more productive and creative, which boosts business performance. Local economies also benefit in a number of ways, because migrants:

• may have different skills which can lead to the establishment of new types of businesses
• generate greater business diversity
• tend to be more entrepreneurial, which greatly benefits local areas that rely on entrepreneurs to boost growth and employment
• have important links with their countries of origin which can benefit local areas – for example, by expanding the size of the market that local firms can sell to.

However, ippr argues that employers and local economies aren’t reaping the full benefits of migration because many migrants are staying for short periods instead of settling in the UK. ippr analysis has shown that over a million migrants came to the UK from the eight countries that joined the EU in May 2004 have arrived in the UK since accession, but around half of those have now returned home.

ippr’s report recommends that local and central government should ensure they are doing enough to attract and retain migrants and develop local strategies to maximise local business benefits. At the same time government should ensure that British born workers receive adequate training and career development opportunities.

Laura Chappell, ippr Research Fellow, said:

“Migrant workers can bring enormous benefits to local businesses and areas. However, many of these contributions – such as new ideas and ways of working, and an entrepreneurial spirit – may have been neglected in the past. To get the most out of migration, local communities, alongside local leaders, businesses, universities, and central government, need to recognise the variety of benefits that migrants can bring, and plan accordingly.

“Political leaders also need to sharpen their narrative about migration, particularly on the longer-term effects on local areas. Migration flows are critical, but the bigger story is how we manage more diverse communities to deliver the greatest benefits for all.”

Your Place or Mine? The local economics of migration by Max Nathan is the first part of a series of eight papers looking at the economics of migration. It will be published by ippr in September.

Female migrant workers and the minimum wage

Report from the TUC of new research from COMPAS:

New TUC research published today (Monday 11 Aug 08) reveals that female migrant workers may be more likely than any other group to be paid less than the national minimum wage (NMW).

Reports of the abuse of migrant workers have become increasingly common and the research – commissioned by the TUC’s Commission on Vulnerable Employment and carried out by the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford – aimed to investigate the available information to uncover the reality of working life for migrant workers.

COMPAS reviewed the pay, working hours, type of work and accommodation of recent migrant workers who have been living and working in the UK for less than 10 years, in the West Midlands and in the East of England/East Midlands (both areas where there has been high levels of recent migration). National information about migrant workers, such as the Government’s Labour Force Survey (LFS), was also included in the report.

The report found that migrant workers were much more likely to experience problems at work, and highlighted a number of worrying trends:

• Recent migrants work longer hours per week than most other workers – for example 55 per cent of recent migrants work 31-48 hours per week, and 15.4 per cent work more than 48 hours per week, compared to 48.3 per cent and 13 per cent of workers generally.

• Migrant workers are more likely to be working as temps or in insecure work (for example not having a written contract) than any other workers.

• Recent migrant workers are more than twice as likely as other workers to be earning less than the appropriate NMW for their age.

• Women who are recent migrants to the UK are 1.5 times more likely than male migrant workers to be paid less than the NMW.

• Women who migrate to work in the UK therefore face a disproportionate risk of being illegally underpaid – with around 35,000 denied the NMW.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

‘The rogue employers who underpay the NMW deserve zero tolerance. The NMW is making a real difference to the lives of many low paid migrant workers, and we must continue to crack down on those mean bosses not paying their staff the legal wage to which they are entitled.

‘The TUC’s Commission on Vulnerable Employment heard many complaints from migrant workers, including excessively long hours, no contract and a complete lack of health and safety training.

‘Belonging to a trade union is the best form of defence a worker can have against exploitative bosses. UK unions are stepping up their efforts to organise migrant workers to stop employers from using a poor grasp of English or ignorance of UK employment law as an excuse to treat people badly.’