EOC(3) MW 002

Equality of Opportunity Committee

Inquiry into Migrant Workers

Response from  North Wales Race Equality Network

• This Paper is prepared in response to the Equality of Opportunity Committee’s Inquiry focused on migrant workers, their families and the communities in which they live and work. The Inquiry aims at gaining an insight into the situation of migrant workers so as to implement appropriate, future polices which will ensure equality in the labour market and social life.
• The information provided in this Paper was collected and collated by four Development Officers from within the Curiad Calon Cymru [CCC] Partnership organisations.  They are North Wales Race Equality Network [NWREN], Race Equality First [REF], Valleys Race Equality Council [VALREC] and All Wales Ethnic Minority Association [AWEMA], each focusing on a separate geographical area of Wales. This Paper is edited by the AWEMA Operations Manager, and reviewed by the AWEMA Chief Executive.
• Intelligence is based on extensive research focused on identifying the needs and problems migrant workers face, which was a primary step in engaging with the migrant communities.  The Paper also outlines the activities carried out based on the findings. The geographical areas under scrutiny are Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, the Valleys, and North Wales.
• This Paper will examine the experiences of migrant workers with regard to their working and living conditions, accessing public services as well as ESOL provision and social networking. It will provide insights into those aspects of life that had been addressed in designated areas and how the actions implemented by Development Officers improved the situation of migrant workers in those areas. Discussing experiences will also help to gain an understanding of the major issues that still need to be taken into consideration.
• Current initiatives implemented by the Development Officers in co-ordination with migrant workers and local authorities which have brought about significant changes in enhancing equal opportunities for migrant workers will be presented so as to establish a model of good practice. Gaps in the current actions as well as issues which require improvement or further developments will also be discussed in order to determine future actions.
• Further, the impact of migration on local services and communities will be
  explored on the basis of the information provided by migrant workers as well as  providers. Examples of adjustments for migrant workers implemented in the local services and the degree of their effectiveness in creating equal opportunities for migrant workers is yet, another important step in identifying which practices should be continued and which should be amended. Examining the advantages and challenges migration puts forward for the mainstream community is important in terms of gaining an understanding of the situation from a different perspective.
• The questions, as outlined in the consultation document, to be considered are:

Experiences of migrant workers and their families

• Are you aware of the barriers experienced by migrant workers and their families in accessing public services? What are the key reasons for these barriers?
  Can you provide any examples of innovative practice in ensuring public services are accessible and barriers can be overcome?
  Can you provide examples of good and poor working and housing conditions?
  Please provide examples of the English and Welsh Language provision for migrant workers and their families in your area. How accessible and appropriate is this provision?
  What opportunities do migrant workers and their families have to build friendship and social networks between themselves and within local communities? Please provide details of any formal and informal groups or networks in your area.

The impact of economic migration on local communities

What are the resource implications for public service providers in areas where a significant proportion of the population are migrant workers and their families?
What are the advantages and challenges for people in local communities in which migrant workers live and work?

Examples of good practice

Please provide examples of good practice, including: Projects or initiatives which have enhanced community relationsGood employment policies and workplace initiatives Accessible and appropriate public services

Each question will be answered under the headings of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendations.

Experiences of migrant workers and their families

Are you aware of the barriers experienced by migrant workers and their families in accessing public services? What are the key reasons for these barriers?

Findings

Through the work of the CCC partnership, there is now well-established evidence that migrant workers experience great barriers when accessing public services. The evidence comes from the migrant workers themselves as well as from the service providers. The barriers migrant workers face put them at a great disadvantage in exercising their fundamental rights and entitlements on the same basis as mainstream communities. This definitely adds a point to the discussion about inequitable opportunities and one-sided policies in a society of such a diverse nature. Accessing public services is a part of everyday life of every individual. Hence, it is  important to determine ways in which access to public services should be equal.

The work carried out by the four Development Officers identified the following service provisions in which migrant workers face greatest barriers; housing, healthcare, banking & education, and employment. However, there have also been cases of individuals who found it difficult to deal with relatively basic activities like going to the shop or using public transport.

As far as housing services are concerned, the research shows that migrant workers have little knowledge about housing support entitlements and who can qualify for it. Another point raised in the research is that access to council housing services is quite limited and although migrant workers work on basic wages, they still do not qualify for it due to the fact that they comprise a relatively young group keen on living with a number of people for the sake of lower housing costs. Further, migrant workers often face barriers regarding understanding the housing system and the procedures concerning renting and buying a property. As a result, overcrowding and unlawful treatment that migrant workers undergo has been identified as one of the major issues that need to be addressed.

Migrant workers and their families are unfamiliar with the healthcare system; this prevents them from accessing the system despite the fact that no cost is involved. The evidence also shows that migrant workers do not register with GPs because they lack confidence in communicating their problems due to insufficient level of English Language proficiency. Secondly, they lack relevant information on the GP registration system which results in an excessive demand put on the emergency services. Another finding suggests that migrant workers, if aware of, are reluctant to use healthcare services because they see it as ineffective.

Accessing bank especially when opening a bank account, creates serious problems for migrant workers. Once again, communication is the main barrier which prevents migrant workers from accessing this service. Migrant workers very often do not meet the list of criteria, like confirmation of the address, which is linked with barriers to accessing other services.

Education is a big issue, specifically for migrant families. The latest research shows that more and more migrant workers live with dependants who, very often, do not speak English when they join their parents. Thus, going to school or nursery is a very daunting and discouraging experience. That is why, as the research shows, some parents opt for caring for children themselves, especially young ones, at home. As a consequence, it results in isolation and economic inactivity. The language support provision for migrant children appears to be insufficient.  The research shows that support teachers visit children from migrant families once a fortnight which is not sufficient to meet their educational needs.  

The recent research shows that language is not the only barrier in education; there is also a discrepancy on levels at which children enter school in the UK and in other EU countries. For instance, in Poland, children begin schooling at the age of seven.  Yet, when they come to the UK, they are allocated schools according to their age, not level. Thus, differing language and high expectations from teachers pose teething problems for children from migrant families which may have further impact on their perception of school and, in general, the host country.

Another problem is bullying in schools that are targeted at children from migrant worker families. Children from migrant worker families have been subject to verbal and physical abuse as a result of racial biases. VALREC initiated an Anti-Bullying Program so as to tackle the problem.

In employment, migrant workers face barriers with regard to lack of knowledge of their rights, obligations and entitlements. As a result, migrant workers experience exploitation and unfair treatment in the work place. They are also excluded from some entitlements.

Conclusions

Overall, the key reasons for the barriers in accessing public services outlined above lie in insufficient and inadequate information dissemination. Unawareness among service providers of the needs of new social groups creates barriers for migrant workers. Insufficient funding for language support in various institutions as well as reluctance of service providers to use available translation resources limits accessibility for migrant workers. The barriers also stem from differences between local and home countries service provision.

Recommendations

In order to help migrant workers overcome the above barriers, the following measures are suggested:

Greater and adequate ESOL provision is a key recommendation to improve migrant workers’ access to public services. Equipping migrant workers with English Language knowledge will help them overcome communication barriers and enable them to access public services independently

Volunteers with knowledge of both the English and any other Languages of recent migration groups are needed in the public  sector so as to assist migrant workers in their enquiries. Also, the practice of employing staff with the skills mentioned above will improve the current situation.

Clear, detailed and more adequate information dissemination among migrant workers on access to public services should be provided in key languages of the recent migration groups. So as to ensure that the information reaches large number of addresses, this initiative should be delivered on a large scale in co-operation with local authorities, employers and service providers. As a continuing good practice, Welcome Packs can be produced and distributed in places, where the proportion of migrant worker population is high.

Information on available interpreting services should be more wide-spread.

More health promotion activities are needed to focus on shifting the perceptions of migrant workers on the nature and delivery of health services.

Workshops with key figures from public services (e.g. Inland Revenue, Housing Council, Jobcentre Plus etc.) should be organised so as to inform migrant workers on how to access public services.

There is a need for adequate funding for service providers to ensure that translation services are used whenever there is a such need.

Materials and Guidance Notes for Form Filling in minority languages should be provided in all statutory agencies.

Increased funding for schools so as to meet the needs of children from migrant families should be one of the priorities. New policies on allocating pupils from other European countries at certain levels should be developed so as to reduce the disadvantage children are put at when being transferred to local schools, funding for greater teaching support for migrant children should be provided.

Child care training courses which would give migrant workers appropriate qualifications to work in local nurseries and reception classes with migrant workers’ children should be organised.

Volunteers should be recruited to assist children from migrant families at schools.

Equality & Diversity training should be conducted for front-line staff of statutory agencies so as to raise their awareness of the issues surrounding migration and to provide quality service for migrant workers.

Can you provide any examples of innovative practice in ensuring that public services are accessible and barriers can be overcome?

Findings

The issue of barriers migrant workers face in accessing public services met with an overwhelming response from partnership voluntary organisations [such as AWEMA, NWREN, REF and VALREC] in co-operation with local authorities. A number of innovative practices have been introduced to enhance better access to public services.

Translation Line with a range of foreign languages available in
the form of  public services is a very helpful and effective means of
overcoming communication barriers.  However, as mentioned before, there is general reluctance on the side of the service providers to resort to this support due to the costs involved.

Some public services also provide written translation of documents e.g. Worker Registration Scheme application at the Job Centre. Additionally, staff members in some public sectors are equipped with basic foreign language vocabulary (e.g. Polish) which facilitates interaction with migrant workers when completing Application Forms.

A very successful innovation 'Welcome Packs’ was introduced by a partnership organisation, VALREC. Welcome Packs of a very handy format include information on all the necessary public services and ways of accessing them. This supportive material was translated into key languages of the recent migration groups and the numbers distributed are in the region of some five thousand.  

The first U.K Migrant Worker Forums set up in RCT and Merthyr Tydfil is another example of an innovative practice that contributed to developing links between migrant workers and public service providers.

Bank account opening sessions with Polish and Somali language support, organised by REF Development Officer in cooperation with a local branch of a bank provided migrant workers with an opportunity to access banking services, which otherwise pose great difficulty.

A good example of raising awareness of the local systems was healthcare workshop for Polish women co-organised by REF and Minority Ethnic Women’s Network [MEWN] Cymru. Useful information was given on childcare, health and healthy lifestyle.

Information Days on public services held by REF was another successful way of information dissemination. Drop-In Centres in Conwy Borough and Swansea turned out to be helpful in gaining understanding of the barriers migrant workers face when accessing public services which bears much importance for future initiatives.

Conclusions

Although there have been a number of initiatives implemented either by service providers themselves or by partnership voluntary  organisations (AWEMA, NWREN, REF, VALREC) aimed at improving migrant workers’ access to public services,  there is still a need to continue the work in this area.

Long-term initiatives like Translation Line provision turned out to lose its effectiveness, owing to financial issues as well as reluctance of the front-line staff to use this support. Drop-In Centres, Migrant Worker Forum or Information Day sessions are long term initiatives which appeared to be successful in terms of improving access to public services through advice and guidance provided to migrant workers. However; the existence of these initiatives is reliant upon adequate funding and greater contribution of volunteers.

Short-term initiatives like workshops on various issues have also positive impact on improving accession to public services through awareness raising and basic training provision for migrant workers.

Recomendation

The following interventions are proposed so as to support and continue current practice in improving access to public services for migrant workers:

• More funding should be provided to public sector, schools, ESOL    centres and local authorities.
• Provision of other necessary means to support and continue current initiative, e.g. access to venues like Drop-In Centres.
• Equality & Diversity training sessions for front-line staff in the public sector should be encouraged.
• Wider involvement of volunteers.

Establishment of Migrant Worker Forums in all locations, where population of migrant workers is high so as to facilitate links between migrant workers, employers, service providers and others.

Provision of funding for statistical research so as to collect more accurate information on migrant workers.

Can you provide examples of good and poor working and housing conditions

Findings

• The research carried out in the designated areas yields much more examples of bad working and housing conditions migrant workers live in than good ones. However, there are cases of individuals whose standard of living and working does not go below the acceptable norms. As far as housing is concerned, familiarity with Tenancy Agreement  
• law is a key to ensure that tenants are aware of their rights and obligations which is an important aspect of good housing conditions. Yet, most of the time, migrant workers who rent a place are not aware of their right to Tenancy Agreement or, if they are provided with one, they do not understand the points outlined in it. As a consequence, they encounter numerous problems. The role of the landlords in creating good housing conditions is very important; bad housing conditions very often stem from unfair treatment like overcharging.
• The research also shows that there were cases of landlords exploiting the language barrier by providing tied accommodation, where or even three families would share a house.  Rent and rates also play an important role in ensuring quality housing conditions since migrant workers usually work on minimum wages. Clarity about housing benefits and good access to council housing appears to be essential for migrant workers. The authorities themselves do not appear to be well-informed about details of housing benefits for migrant workers
• Recent migration is caused by economic reasons; migrant workers come to the UK due to higher wages and better life opportunities than in their home countries. They are either forced to leave their countries owing to difficult financial situations or simply wanting to take the opportunity of earning more in a foreign country. When coming to the UK, migrant workers have high hopes of a better life, yet the reality turns out to be the opposite for a majority of them. This happens mainly due to poor working conditions that are offered
• In the case of migrant workers, working conditions are generally very poor. Migrant workers, despite being qualified and having rich experience in their home countries, fill in the gaps by taking on unskilled and low-paid jobs. The research shows that even those individuals, who possess adequate qualifications and a good command of the English Language, still find it difficult to progress in employment.

Figure 1 shows the educational profile of migrant workers who participatedin recent research:

• A majority of migrant workers work on a minimum wage, doing jobs beneath their qualifications. For instance, if an individual had worked as a doctor in a home country, he or she can only find work as a nurse or carer in the UK..
• In general, migrant workers do not know if and how they can have their qualifications accredited. Moreover, very few employers are interested in helping migrant workers progress in a work place or upgrading their qualifications. Thus, migrant workers are usually stuck in dead-end jobs, with little opportunity for progression and developing their potential. This contributes to general apathy, low self-esteem and dissatisfaction. A majority of the respondents in the recent research expressed their reluctance to even try to look for better jobs despite adequate qualifications. Acceptance of very poor working conditions and unfair treatment was a common phenomenon.
• Ensuring good working conditions lies mainly in observing employment law by employers and, possessing positive and open attitude toward migrant workers. Employment should always be based on a contract which explicitly states all the rights, obligations and entitlements. It should be the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the contract is comprehensible to the employee. Equal treatment of all the staff, regardless of their nationality and sensitivity to potential differences in work culture are crucial factors in creating conducive working conditions.
• The research shows that a major responsibility for poor working conditions lies on the side of recruitment agencies and employers, who lack knowledge when it comes to employing migrant workers.
• There is well-established evidence that some recruitment agencies apply very unscrupulous methods when dealing with migrant workers who are recruited either in their home countries or on their arrival. Migrant workers sign 'Zero Hour Contract’ written in English, a language which most of migrant workers have very little or no knowledge of. 'Zero Hour Contract’ implies that the agency has no obligation to provide the employee with work; the employees are formally employed but have to work for a long period of time.
• Additionally, workers also experience transport and accommodation cost deductions.  Very often, migrant workers are employed on the condition that they would stay in the accommodation offered by the agency, otherwise a worker is dismissed. If employed by the agency, a worker has no right to go on sick leave and has no holiday entitlements either. There are cases of migrant workers who were dismissed because they requested a visit to a doctor. Additionally, migrant workers experience underpayment and discrimination, lack of holiday pay and lack of compensation for the injuries suffered. Migrant workers are required to work overtime very often without being paid, or the rate for overtime is not clarified to them. Migrant workers rarely report this kind of treatment; they adjust to whatever conditions they are offered for fear of being dismissed.

Conclusions

• The issue of poor working and housing conditions of migrant workers needs to be addressed immediately.
• The seriousness of the issues involved in employment and the consequences it carries for migrant workers requires development of new policies which would put an end to unlawful practices
• Apart from dealing with the legal side of the issue, lack of awareness and knowledge about migrant workers, employers’ work ethics, and the difficulties migrant workers experience with employers are issues that need to be addressed, if working conditions are to be improved.
• Accrediting current qualifications migrant workers have, and upgrading them is a very important step in creating equalopportunities for migrant workers.
• Confidence building in migrant workers cannot be ignored because it will give an individual courage to stand for his/ her rights and undertake better job opportunities.
• Creating better housing conditions for migrant workers also depend on observing tenancy laws by both landlords and tenants. Migrant workers need to be better informed about legal procedure for renting a place.
• Better information dissemination on available housing benefits will also aid the current situation.

Recommendations

These recommendations aim at improving working and housing conditions for migrant workers.

New polices are needed to resolve the problem of unlawful employment methods applied by recruitment agencies. This is a key long term initiative that would improve both working and housing conditions migrant workers live in. If recruitment agencies continue their unfair practices, the process of improving working conditions will be very slow and will not reach the range of audience that experience these difficulties

• The issue of 'Zero Hours Contract’ needs to be addressed.
• Greater involvement of Trade Unions is needed so as to promote  rights and entitlements, both with migrant workers and with employers.
• Raising of awareness among migrant workers on the steps that need to be taken so as to ensure that they are employed according to employment law. Workshops on employment law would inform migrant workers what they should expect from the potential employer.
• Development of service providers that would specifically assist migrant workers with converting qualifications gained in home countries.
• Career Advice Centres should be set up so as to help migrant workers gain access to jobs which are relevant to their qualifications and experience.
  Provision of training in improving interview and job application
  skills.
• Provision of specialised courses which migrant workers are  interested in: IT courses, Security Licence courses, childcare/carer courses and any other vocational course that would help them progress in the labour market.
• Greater provision of ESOL programs, which is a fundamental step in improving both working and housing conditions.
  Organising of art workshops so as to help migrant workers develop
  confidence.
• Greater dissemination of information on accessing the housing sector and council housing benefits.
• Development of employers’ database so as to facilitate links between employers and migrant workers who look for jobs.

Please provide examples of the English and Welsh Language provision for migrant workers and their families in your area. How accessible and appropriate is this provision?

Findings

English Language provision is at the highest demand, as far as migrant workers are concerned. The research shows that a majority of migrant workers had no English Language knowledge prior to their arrival. They could not attend any English classes either because of their heavy work schedules.  Hence, a large number of migrant workers, [shown in Figure 2] have none (11%), very poor (27%) or poor (45%) knowledge of spoken English, even after living in the UK for a few years.

Fig.2. Spoken knowledge of English Language among migrant workers

Written knowledge of English Language among migrant workers

• As indicated in Figure 3, the percentage of migrant workers (46%) with very poor knowledge of written English is fairly high. This signifies that they lack formal ESOL education and that the communication skills they acquired were incidental.
• It may be due to the reason that the only place where they can acquire the language is the work place but this can pose some difficulty as migrant workers usually work with people of the same nationality. Thus, their knowledge of English is very limited and there is no way of expanding it. Their understanding of the English Language is better than communication skills which is the essence of existence, and therefore, a must in order for them to survive in any society.
• Migrant workers are aware of the necessity of learning English which was expressed in all the previous research and confirmed by the recent research in which all the respondents expressed their interest in ESOL courses.
• The needs analysis carried out in Swansea and Llanelli revealed that the major problems migrant workers experience stem from no or insufficient English Language knowledge and that they are determined to undertake English classes immediately to improve their situation and to gain more confidence in a new environment.
• All the research in designated areas show that ESOL provision is insufficient in terms of schedule, number of places and fee rates. The following examples will illustrate the situation:
• The existing ESOL programs at the local colleges (e.g. Swansea) have a limited number of places. There is no chance of enrolling on an ESOL course until after September, when recruitment takes place. Those who are interested have to wait for one year and there is no guarantee for a place, since waiting lists are always full.
• Small-scale ESOL initiatives are rarely successful.  One example of which is the initiative undertaken by the Board of Polish Saturday School in Swansea. English Language classes for parents would run simultaneously as Polish classes for their children in the same location. However, this initiative did not work out owing to the inconvenient time of the classes, lack of funding, and lack of proper organising. Thus, in Swansea where the number of migrant workers is very high, at the moment, there is no formal ESOL provision available that would cater to the migrant workers’ needs.  
• Llanelli is another location where the demand for ESOL provision is huge owing to an influx of migrant workers, especially Polish. As far as is known, there is only one ESOL program with a crèche provided that is run for mothers from migrant families. This program has been recently organised as a personal initiative of a Polish mother in co-ordination with Swansea College.  The free-of-charge classes are run on Friday mornings, and there are approximately thirteen mothers attending the course. However, the number of attendees has fallen because the childcare, which is provided by English childminders, is not adequate. The class is constantly interrupted by mothers who are called out to see to their children.
• REF conducted a ten-week Basic English Language course for migrant workers in Cardiff. In order to ensure that the migrant workers’ needs are met, the course content and the choice of materials were based on the work carried out by the Development Officers with migrant workers.
• Another ESOL initiative was introduced in Merthyr Tydfil Borough. It is an English Language class for Polish and Portuguese migrant workers, run by Polish and Portuguese tutors.  Additionally, migrant workers have been successfully signposted to existing ESOL courses in colleges and workplaces.

Conclusions

• English Language provision is a key initiative that needs to be addressed before any other issues. The importance of equipping
  newwcomers with this fundamental skill is immense.
• Lack of adequate English Language provision causes problems related to limited access to public services, isolation, lack of confidence, employment beneath one’s qualifications and general vulnerability of migrant workers in a work place or housing.
• The ESOL initiatives mentioned above are not sufficient for such a large number of agents. Secondly, ESOL programs are not adequate for migrant workers. Focusing explicitly on wider and more accessible ESOL provision is a key to creating better life conditions for migrant workers

Recommendations

• The following interventions are suggested in order to improve access and appropriateness of ESOL provision for migrant workers:
• Raise awareness among employers about the importance of their involvement in creating ESOL provision for migrant workers in work places
• Encourage greater co-operation with local colleges, universities and institutes in developing ESOL courses.
• Make necessary changes to the existing ESOL initiatives at colleges and universities so as to make them more accessible for migrant workers.Develop a database of ESOL teachers who would be involved in ESOL programs.
• Establish ESOL classes in an independent venue, targeted specifically at migrant workers with the involvement of volunteers who have ESOL or CELTA qualifications (undergraduate and postgraduate TEFL students). Prior to the commencement of the course, needs analysis should be conducted in order to ascertain the kind of language needs students (migrant workers) have and to develop the appropriate course content. Provide greater childcare provision for parents who attend ESOL
  classes (e.g. Llanelli) Lobby for more funding for ESOL provision.  

What opportunities do migrant workers and their families have to build friendship and social networks between themselves and within local communities? Please provide details of any formal and informal groups or networks in your area.

Findings

• The research conducted in all designated areas revealed that isolation is one of the main problems migrant workers and their families face due to lack of social networks and support structures
• The opportunities to socialise and to build friendships and social networks between themselves and within local communities differ from one area to the other. In general, it is easier for young people to socialise and to make friends, either with other migrant workers or with local people, whereas people aged 40 or above rarely socialise. If they do, it is usually with their closest friends.
• As a matter of fact, as the recent research shows, migrant workers, in this case, Polish people are not willing to socialise with other migrant workers on a wider scale. The respondents expressed rather negative attitudes toward fellow country men which were based on bad experience they had with them. Some respondents were willing to mix with other migrant workers but did not know where to look for the opportunities to make this contact.
• Migrant workers who participated in the research complained about the lack of entertainment and opportunities to develop their interests. The research shows that migrant workers have common hobbies.

Personal Interests and Hobbies of Migrant Workers

• This information could be used to facilitate socialising through thematic   
  Workshops.
• There is a number of both formal and informal groups which have been set up as part of Curiad Calon Cymru Partnership - an EQUAL ESF project, or as an initiative of individuals from a given community to tackle the problem of isolation among new social groups.
• Social events play an important role in enhancing social inclusion and/ or community cohesion. There had been several multi-cultural events organised by VALREC. The aim was to promote community integration and reduce isolation. Social events usually attract a significant number of people for whom, in some cases, this is the only opportunity to break from the daily routine and to relax.  It is also an opportunity for local communities to become familiar with new social groups - their customs and culture.
• Excursions to different local places of historical interest also provide an opportunity for migrant workers to build social networks and to learn more about Welsh heritage. An example is a trip to St.Fagan’s National Museum, organised by REF for migrant workers.  The event brought together many migrant workers.
• Young Polish people from Cardiff regularly organise parties in local clubs. Migrant workers in Merthyr Tydfil meet in a fully-constituted International Club set up by VALREC and run by migrant workers themselves. Over 100 migrant workers from a number of different countries socialise in the club.
• The Polish House in Cardiff also plays an integrative role. It is a place where migrant workers meet for social events every Saturday, and go for advice and help.
• A Central & Eastern-European Association was also set up in Cardiff by migrant workers with the assistance of REF Development Officer. So far, the Association established a film club and organised elections to enable migrant workers from Poland to vote in the recent government elections. The number of migrant workers involved in the Association is constantly growing.
• A fully-constituted Polish Association 'Polonia’ has existed in Swansea since the sixties. It has a formal Management Board and a database of approximately 50 members. It plays an important role in preserving the tradition of the catholic faith among the Polish community in Swansea. All the activities evolve around Polish Mass, which takes place every three weeks in Swansea. Polish migrant workers are invited for Mass and for the occasional social gatherings (e.g. Independence Day or Christmas) in the church hall. The turn-up is fairly high for Mass, whilst the social gatherings do not attract the same number of people. It may be due to the fact that the recent migration group is quite young and they opt for different forms of entertainment. The Association is run by elderly people who have lived in Swansea since World War II and they may not be familiar with the needs and interest of new migrant workers. 'Polonia’ has no access to funding, thus the activities are limited and always planned on a small-scale.
• Another opportunity to build social network is provided by a Polish Saturday School run by a Board of two volunteers. There are four different age groups of students and four teachers employed by the school. The main objective of the school is to preserve the Polish Language and culture. The classes take place on Saturday mornings in Cefn Hengoed Community School in Swansea. The school has no access to funding to support and develop its initiative. The only source of income comes from the monthly fees paid by each child to attend the school. The school has limited resources and the number of children attending the classes is fluctuating because of transport issues.
• Llanelli has one of the most well-developed formal groups, where mainly Polish migrant workers have an opportunity to meet and get advice and support. It is called the Polish-Welsh Mutual Association 'Safeasy.’  It employs Polish staff who handle a variety of enquiries migrant workers have on daily basis. The Association also provides free access to internet. The most recent integrative event was that of  a bus trip excursion on All Saints Day, which is one of the most important religious festivals for Polish community.
• The Polish Mother’s Toddler Group in Llanelli is a rather informal initiative of Polish mothers who meet regularly in Play Groups. The initiative was started by one Polish mother who decided to create a formal group that would cater to the needs of Polish parents. The Group meets occasionally in the boardroom of Polish-Welsh Mutual Association and also regularly every Friday for ESOL classes. The Group aims at enhancing social cohesion among Polish community and to integrate with local communities through various social activities and events (e.g. vending Polish cuisines at the social event, organising Christmas party). Future initiatives aim at providing appropriate trainings and workshops. At the moment, the Group is forming its constitution so as to exist as a formally recognised association. Despite visible enthusiasm and willingness to undertake this initiative, the structure of the group is still very fragile, mainly due to internal conflicts on the grounds of responsibility, division and fear of any financial liabilities. The funding is essential to support the Group which may play a important role in promoting social cohesion.

Conclusion

• The opportunities for migrant workers to build friendships and social networks between themselves and local communities are limited.
• The situation is much better for younger people who find it easier to adjust to new environment (e.g. in the clubs). Middle-aged people experience isolation and social exclusion more often than others.Social events and excursions appear to extend opportunities to  socialise.
• As evidence shows, migrant workers took initiative to socialise, maintain & strengthen bonds within their communities,
  and develop new friendships.
• There are formal and informal groups, set up either by migrant workers themselves or Development Officers as a part of the EQUAL project. Some of the groups, like the Polish-Welsh Association or Polish House in Cardiff are well-established and they play an important role in binging communities together.
• Other new and less prominent groups with limited reach and resources have contributed to strengthening community ties but on a
  small-scale. Lack of access to any funding or support from authorities makes it very hard for these Groups to survive and to develop their initiatives for the benefit of migrant workers communities.The existence of both formal and informal groups plays an  important
  role in enhancing social cohesion.

Recommendations

• In order to create more opportunities for migrant workers to socialise both with other migrant workers and with local communities, the following steps should be taken:
• Adequate funding and guidance should be provided to support newly-established and existing established groups.
• Facilitate links among migrant workers through thematic workshops based on information provided by migrant in the Needs Analysis Questionnaires.
• Establish Migrant Worker Forums to facilitate information sharing among migrant workers and networking among individuals.
• Organise multi-cultural events on major national and religious festivals of the countries from which  migrant workers come.
• Promote Digital Storytelling in order to exchange views & experiences and to enhance community cohesion.

The impact of economic migration on local communities

What are the resource implications for public service providers in areas where a significant proportion of the population are migrant workers and their families?

Findings

• As previously mentioned, recent migration groups have significant resource implications for public service providers. Service providers have found themselves unable to cope with the increase in demand for housing, education and health services.
• Owing to little,  or  poor English Language knowledge of  migrant  workers when they arrive in the UK, there is an overwhelming demand on Language Lines in key languages of the migration groups, where verbal exchange of information is involved (e.g. bank, police, surgery etc.)
• Apart from the need for interpretation, there is also a great demand for translation of written documents (e.g. Insurance Number or Worker Registration Scheme applications).
• Equality & Diversity training sessions have been organised for employers arising from the importance of raising awareness among employers about new social group in labour market. This implies greater resource demand in terms of training mentors and any other necessary aterials which facilitate understanding of these issues.
• Educational institutions provide Teaching Assistants so as to assist migrant children, whose first language is not English, to adjust to a new environment.
• There has been  a heavy demand for ESOL provision in local collegesand other educational institutions.  
• Some local shops and supermarkets are supplied with goods from various European countries so as to cater to the needs of migrant workers who have settled in certain areas for longer period of time.

Conclusions

• The impact of the recent migration on public services in terms of resource provision has been overwhelming.
• The main resource implication was language related; language lines translation of written documents and guidance materials into key languages of migration groups, teaching assistance for migrant workers’ children at schools, as well as awareness raising sessions for the employers and service providers.

Recommendations

• As evident from the findings, there is a need to support provision of current resources but more importantly, the need to develop innovative practices.

What are the advantages and challenges for people in local    communities in which migrant workers live and work?

Findings

• Despite the fact that the UK has a rich history of migration, every new wave of newcomers still meets with various attitudes, both positive and negative, of the local society. The recent migration is relatively new. Thus, the advantages and challenges are still emerging.
• The positive impacts are the introduction of new skills and increased diversity. Local people have an opportunity to enrich their knowledge of the history and culture of the countries from which the migrant workers come.
• Learning about others may foster respect and tolerance towards new social groups. It also results in self-growth and relativism of the mainstream cultures. It may also enhance community relationships if there is a degree of openness and co-operation between various groups. The attitude of acceptance may be successfully ingrained in the society, if children from migrant families mix with children from local communities, which in turn may also bring parents closer from both groups.
• The negative impact has been experienced as community tension increases, owing to the recent influx of migrant workers.
• There is no doubt that migrant workers brought huge economic benefit to the UK, but on a social level it is rather perceived as unfairness of resource allocation.  Racial tensions are driven by struggles for resources such as employment or housing.
• New migrant workers have also been subjected to verbal and physical abuse on the grounds of racial biases. There are also cases of racial discrimination at schools and in the work places.
• Hostile attitudes toward migrant workers are also incited by the media which has created a negative image of migrant workers.

Conclusions

• Recent migration had both a positive and negative impact on local communities.
• Positive aspects such as increased diversity, new skills as well as opportunity to expand one’s knowledge about history and culture of new social groups go together with racial discrimination, feeling of unfair resource allocation and stereotypical biases.
• These issues should be addressed so as to diminish negative attitudes among mainstream communities.

Recommendations

• In order to bring about a positive relationship between migrant workers and the local communities,  the following are recommended:
• Organise social events that would include cultural elements from various community groups.
• Facilitate community relations between local people and migrant workers through various activity projects, e.g. organising cookery workshop for women etc.
• Organise inter-cultural sessions for migrant workers so as to help them understand other social groups and develop positive andaccepting attitude.  
• Introduce elements of inter-cultural education to nurseries and schools so as to help children learn more about each others’
  cultures & ways of life, and to develop positive attitudes. e)Introduce anti-bullying programs in schools.
• Organise workshops on bullying for teachers and students is schools so as to raise awareness of this issue.
• Raise awareness among migrant workers of hate crime and how to report it. This translates to building trust between police and migrant workers by organising workshops led by police representatives and inviting migrant workers to ask questions and learn more about hate crimes.
• Establish a more co-operative approach between the media and the government, to create a more positive image of migrant workers.

Examples of Good Practice

Projects or initiatives which have enhanced community relations

Findings

• Some of the initiatives have been specifically targeted at enhancing community relation, whilst others have brought about this impact incidentally.
• Multi-cultural social events definitely enhance cohesion within one or more communities. These kinds of events with various audience and programs attract a significant number of people who have an opportunity to unwind and break daily routine of hard and very often, unsatisfactory, work. It also enhances a sense of belonging to particular social groups, in this case, migrant workers.
• Excursions to different places of historical interest organised by partnership organisations contribute to a strengthening bond within communities. However, not only is there an element of bringing communities together but there is also raising awareness of the cultural heritage of the land migrant workers domicile.
• International Clubs or Associations established in places where a significant proportion of the population constitutes migrant workers is another example of good practice which definitely improves community relations. International Clubs are usually run by migrant workers themselves which give them a voice in society and an opportunity to become more prominent as a group. Clubs and Associations provide easy access to migrant workers.  As a consequence, their needs may be addressed directly. A sense of security within new social groups is another positive aspect from developing this kind of initiative.
• Anti-bullying programs in schools have been introduced so as to address the growing number of verbal and physical abuses against children from migrant families.
• The Migrant Workers Forum is an example of a good practice which enhances community relations on a wider scale.  It involves members of local communities, authorities, service providers, trade unions and charities exchanging information on the issues related to migrant workers. The impact of the exchange of views and information in the Forum was immense, in terms of raising awareness of the issues surrounding migration, dealing with particular problems and developing positive attitudes toward migrant workers. If migrant workers themselves contribute to opinion sharing in the forum, a better informed image of migrant workers will emerge, and their problems will be better understood by different stakeholders.

Good Employment Policies and Workplace Initiatives

Findings

• The practices of gang-masters are one of the most controversial issues as far as employment is concerned. The potential targets of gang-masters were foreigners with a poor grasp of the English of people is subject to exploitation and unfair treatment. Gang
  employment policies. The obligation to possess a licence in order to supply labour, has limited to some extent, the unlawful practices applied by gang-masters.
• In order to tackle discrimination in the work place, equality and diversity training programs have been developed for employers. The objective is to raise awareness of migrant workers issues, employment rights/obligations, and to promote equality and diversity in the workplace. Similar sessions have been conducted in schools and colleges.
• ESOL in the workplace is a key initiative for the benefit of migrant workers. ESOL classes organised in the workplace make it
  accessible for migrant workers to gain or improve on their basic skills. Very often, the only reason for which migrant workers cannot
  attend ESOL courses is because of their work commitment.

Accessible and Appropriate Public Services

Findings

• Welcome Packs prove to be a very good means of making services more accessible. The fact that all the information on public services is in one place and also available in key languages, makes it easy for migrant workers to refer to them.
• Employ migrant workers with adequate qualification in the various sectors of public services is also a successful initiative which provides migrant workers with service in their own languages.

Recommendations

• continue implementing the current initiatives in areas where
  the proportion of migrant workers is high. Share good practice experiences among partnership organisations.