2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 1

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1 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 1

2 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 2 A migrant worker is someone from outside the UK and Ireland who is here to seek or take up work. An immigrant is someone who comes to another country hoping to live permanently in it. An emigrant is someone who leaves this country to live in another. An asylum seeker - is someone who is seeking asylum. This means they are applying to be given the status of a refugee in another country on the basis that they face persecution in the country they have left under the 1951 UN Conventions on Refugees. A refugee If an asylum seeker s application for asylum is granted by immigration officials they become a refugee in that country. They will be given temporary leave to remain and the case reassessed after 5 years to see if it is still unsafe for them to return to their home country. A refused asylum seeker A person whose asylum application has been unsuccessful and who has no other claim for humanitarian protection awaiting a decision. Some refused asylum seekers voluntarily return home, others are forcibly returned. For some it is not safe or practical for them to return until conditions in their country change. A foreign student is someone who comes to study in this country. They can work providing it doesn't exceed more than 20 hours per week and doesn't interfere with their studies. European Union national - That's us by the way! The media often call European Union workers, migrants and even asylum seekers! Like us, workers across Europe have the freedom to travel within the European Union and will eventually have the freedom to work in all other EU countries. Work permit - Gives permission to UK employers to recruit named people from a country outside of the European Economic Area (see below). The permit ties the worker to that employer. They are issued for a maximum of five years. Accession Worker Card Although recent members of the EU, A2 nationals (people from Romania and Bulgaria) cannot work in most jobs here and they can apply to the Home Office for an Accession Worker Card for certain types of employment in the UK once their prospective employer has received approval for a work permit. Highly skilled and self-employed A2 Nationals must apply for a Registration Certificate. European Economic Area - Established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Community, later the European Union (EU). Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's single market without a conventional EU membership. [EEA countries:- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.] A8 countries - Eight of the ten countries that joined the European Union in They are Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. A2 countries - In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania also became members of the European Union. Until 2014 they will be very restricted in the jobs they can access here.

3 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 3 Migration has been a constant feature in the history of these islands. Any claim to the existence of an ethnically pure indigenous people is exposed as a myth with the briefest examination of the history of Britain and Ireland. There were peoples on these islands before the Celts arrived. The Angles, Saxons, Romans, Vikings, and Normans who followed are the largest and therefore best known immigrants to these shores. But over the centuries other peoples, traders, craftsmen, students, peoples fleeing persecution or coming for a better life have settled here and added to the rich culture. The earliest Africans in Britain were probably black Roman soldiers. In Elizabethan times, it is recorded that there were small numbers of Africans who settled in Britain. The history of the island of Ireland since the 17th century records groups of Huguenots (10,000 French Protestants fleeing persecution), Germans, Jews, and more recently Italians, Indians, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Pakistani Vietnamese and many others arriving here, integrating and enhancing our way of life. It was the Italians after all who brought us the fish and chip shop and ice cream. However, from the 18th century onwards the history of migration in Ireland has been primarily about emigration people leaving the Island. It has been reported that 70 million people on earth could claim to have Irish or Scots Irish roots, which is amazing since the current population on the island is only around 6.4 million. Right up to relatively recent times our emigrants faced suspicion, exploitation, racism, and discrimination in their adopted homes. Anti-Irish racism in Victorian Britain and 19th century United States included the stereotyping of the Irish as alcoholics, violent, dirty and involved in criminality. It was widely claimed that there were too many of them here and they monopolized certain (usually low-paying) job markets. Similar to other immigrant populations, the Irish were sometimes accused of sticking together rather than integrating and subjected to misrepresentations of their religious and cultural beliefs. Today people leaving our country to live and work abroad, our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends are less likely to be subject to these myths and mistreatment. But what about the people, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters themselves, who come to live and work in our country? Do we welcome migrant workers with open arms and hospitality? Or, do we repeat the same ignorant myths and hold the same racist attitudes towards them that plagued the lives of emigrants from this island in former times? What about migrants who come to our country? Right-wing political parties and press blame immigrants for a range of ills affecting today s society. They claim that the current open-door policy and unrestricted, uncontrolled immigration is leading to higher crime rates, demand for more housing, severe extra strain on the environment, traffic congestion, longer hospital waiting lists, lower educational standards, higher income taxes, lower wages, higher unemployment, loss of national identity, a breakdown in community spirit, more restrictive policing, higher council taxes, a shortage of council homes, higher levels of stress and unhappiness and a more atomised society. This is reflected in the attitudes of the general public. In May 2010 a survey of public attitudes towards migrant workers in Northern Ireland carried out for the Department of Employment and Learning found that, Whilst there is a general acceptance that migrant workers have made a positive contribution to the economy and society, there are indications that some public attitudes towards migrant workers were negative, for example, as indicated by the incidence of racially motivated attacks, some of which were directed at migrant workers.

4 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 4 28% 48% 30% 16% 70% of respondents think that Northern Irish people are very prejudiced towards migrant workers. of respondents feel that migrant workers take jobs away from people who were born in Northern Ireland. of respondents agree or strongly agree that migrant workers come to Northern Ireland just to get social security benefits. of respondents consider migrant workers more law abiding than locals - although 38% took a contrary view. of respondents feel that the number of migrant workers coming to Northern Ireland puts a strain on services. The incorrect and unjustified attitudes revealed in the results above, and the spurious scare stories in (mainly right-wing national) newspapers about immigration and immigrants can and do lead to hate crime and violence against migrant workers and ethnic minorities here. This is especially the case in difficult economic times such as we are now experiencing. That is why we have produced this pamphlet.

5 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 5 TRUTH Migrants make up around 4.5% of NI population and the share of migrants in other countries is much higher. Brief history of migration to Northern Ireland During the 1970s and 1980s Northern Ireland experienced consistently large population loss due to migration from Northern Ireland. From the early 1990s until 2004 the population levels steadied as the number of people leaving the country emigration, roughly matched the number of people entering the country immigration. A large proportion of minority ethnic people and migrants came here to work from British Commonwealth or other countries with a connection with Britain or Ireland. In the late 1990s Portuguese citizens began arriving in small numbers to work in the food processing industries in the Dungannon and Portadown areas. From 1999 the shortage of nurses in NI has led to the granting of work permits to nurses from the Philippines, India and other countries to fill vacancies in the NHS and in private nursing homes. Since 2004 there has been a marked increase in net migration (the difference between the number of people coming into the country, and the number leaving). This is related to the enlargement of the European Union in May 2004, when people from the A8 Accession Countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) were allowed to come to work in the UK and Ireland. Although there are people from the migrant worker community living right across NI, according to the 2011 Census migrant workers from A8 countries are living, primarily in Belfast, Dungannon, Craigavon and the Newry & Mourne areas. The percentage of residents with an A8 background ranges from 6.8 % in Dungannon Local Government District to 0.4% of the population in Larne Local Government District. The latest accession countries, known as A2 countries, Bulgaria and Romania that joined the EU in January 2007 have been treated differently from the A8 countries. Nationals from these A2 countries are free to be here but do not have access to most forms of employment. Actual numbers of immigrants in Northern Ireland Calculating exactly how many migrant workers are currently in NI (and indeed the UK as a whole) is difficult, particularly as there is no official mechanism for recording their departure from the UK. However, the 2011 Census revealed that there were 81,453 people in Northern Ireland, including children, who were born outside the UK or the Irish Republic. This is 4.5% of the total NI population of 1.8 million. The census also recorded that those regarding themselves as belonging to minority ethnic groups (which may include Travellers) were a mere 1.8% of the population.

6 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 6 According to DEL the share of foreign-born workers in other economies is much higher in Australia (26%), the United States (17%), the Republic of Ireland (15%), Germany (13%) and the UK (11%) for instance. This is far from the hysterical claims by sections of the media and certain politicians that we are being swamped by migrants. But why let the truth get in the way of a good story? After all scare stories sell newspapers, and stirring up irrational fear can win votes for dodgy politicians. Who They are: People from the expanded EU countries (so called A8 countries of Eastern Europe) have been the main source of migration since 2004 making up 1.97% of the population, according to the 2011 Census. The EU citizens from countries that joined before 2004 make up 0.54% of the NI population, whereas residents born outside the EU account for 1.99%. The other countries, outside of EU citizens, from which people have migrated for work to NI since 2004 in small numbers, include (in order of the size of community), India, Philippines, Ukraine, China, Pakistan, USA, South Africa, Moldova, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, Russia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Brazil, Belarus, Japan, Morocco, Kenya. All of these people and the other nationalities, too small in number to mention here, are not only contributing to our economy, each one brings aspects of a different culture which can enrich our society a society which was divided, hurt and inward looking due to years of conflict. Decline in Immigration and Increase in Emigration: All available evidence points to a reduction in the number of migrant workers coming to NI. According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) the increase in the population of NI due to migration was approximately 9,000 in the two years from 2005 to 2007 (the high points of immigration into NI). In this number declined to 5,700. In the number of residents added through migration declined further to 2,100. Since then, net migration has gradually reduced and fallen below zero. Between there was a net loss of 3,200 people leaving Northern Ireland (21,700 in and 24,900 out). The population increase of 0.4% in is dominated by natural change and a return to a position of modest net out migration, similar to

7 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 7 that seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mainly due to increased migration out of Northern Ireland. This is to be expected as migrant workers are drawn here (sometimes directly by NI employers) by the fact that they are needed in a growing economy. In our current economic condition it is natural that workers whether born here or abroad will leave to find work and a better life. This is currently happening in the Republic of Ireland where 87,000 people left the country in the year to April More than 200 people a day emigrated, figures not recorded since the Famine, according to the Irish Independent. As with all episodes of immigration throughout history some will stay, raise families and integrate into society. What if? The British National Party (BNP) says it wants all nonwhite people to leave the UK, regardless of whether they were born here or not. What if other countries did the same? It is estimated that 5.5 million British citizens live abroad. What if Spain sent home the 800,000 Britons living there, most of whom are pensioners? TRUTH Approximately 5% of the NI workforce is comprised of migrant workers. This is a very small proportion. Migrant workers are attracted to NI by job vacancies. In many cases locally based employers have recruited people directly or through recruitment agencies from other countries. They fill skills gaps and labour shortages and where there is nearly full employment, they often do jobs that local people are not prepared to do, such as cleaning or agricultural labour. Migrant workers constitute only small proportion of the NI labour market. The Department of Employment and Learning published a study in 2009 by Oxford Economics which estimated that migrant workers constituted around 5% of NI workforce. Under the points based system, migrants from outside the European Economic Area are only permitted to take jobs where there are recognised skill shortages and where they can prove before they enter the UK that they have qualifications, skills and abilities and are sponsored by an employer. A 2009 survey of over 600 of Northern Ireland employers found out that 31% of employers said migrants had been important for their organisation s survival, including more than 50% in health and social care and in agriculture. Take the case of the local food processing industry which is now dependent on migrant labour. If there were no migrant workers these industries would not have enough staff and may well relocate overseas devastating the local economy. The jobs in the factory would go, as would jobs in agriculture which supply the factory with produce, along with losing all of the additional tax revenues and additional money spent by migrant workers in local shops and services. Far from taking jobs migrant workers are saving, maintaining and creating a wide variety of employment.

8 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:07 Page 8 TRUTH Many businesses and services are dependent on migrant labour According to a British Chamber of Commerce Workforce Survey 2011, the majority of firms in the UK (57%) with more than fifty staff employ some migrant workers. The BCC have said that employers see migrants in a positive light stating that: Migrants are a selfselecting group: they tend to be young, driven and enterprising, all skills that an employer values The positive contribution that migrants make to the economy has been consistently recognised by employer groups such as the CBI, British Chamber of Commerce, NFU and trade union leaders. They have highlighted instances where specific sectors, particularly those dependent on a seasonal workforce, have suffered through a lack of access to sufficient volumes of migrant labour. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have underlined the important contribution that migrants make to the economy Migrants make a valuable contribution to local economies across the UK, and thus to the country as a whole (Migration Policy Brief, British Chambers of Commerce, 9 December 2009). Albert Ellis, chief executive of Harvey Nash, said: "Economic migration has many detractors, but clearly what we are seeing here is unquestionably positive and beneficial to the UK as a whole. In fact, the UK could not do without its influx of economic migrants." Governments and companies in the wealthier countries have, in recent times, not been prepared to invest in training and education. This has led to recruitment difficulties and skills shortages across a range of sectors, including tourism, catering and hospitality, childcare and social care, construction, retail and food production. The majority of migrant workers are skilled and educated bringing with them new talent and dynamism which contributes to the economy. Migrant workers are often highly educated people more than a third left full time education after the age of 21 twice as many as in the UK population. Despite higher education and skill levels, their wages are substantially lower than UK born workers. Despite their relatively high level of education, around 33% of them are employed in elementary occupations and a further 25% in personal service, sales and processing. In addition, migrant workers skills are also often under-utilised because their qualifications are not recognised in this country. This combined with the language barrier means that they are forced to work in jobs below their actual skills level. On top of this, migrant workers generally are unfamiliar with their employment rights allowing some unscrupulous employers to exploit them. Migrant workers cannot be blamed for the skills shortages that the country is experiencing because the government is not prepared to invest into upskilling and developing apprenticeship schemes for young workers. The government and employers should be responsible for ensuring that the availability of migrants does not prevent the ability of domestic vocational and youth training systems to provide NI s young people with the skills they need to prosper. On the other hand, they should also ensure that the full potential of well-qualified migrant workers is utilised to maximise their contribution to the local economy.

9 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 9 TRUTH: An increasing population does not produce unemployment. It is obvious that the rate at which multinational firms are re-locating production and jobs to Eastern European and other countries with lower or no effective minimum wage would just increase if migrant workers were not available. A 2012 study Analysis of the Impacts of Migration produced by Migration Advisory Committee, a body advising the government on migration, found no direct correlation between migration and native unemployment figures stating most studies estimating the impact of migrants on employment and unemployment in the UK find little or no association between migrant flows and changes to employment or unemployment. The UK Treasury says that immigration, by increasing the growth of the labour force, also raises the economy s long-term or trend rate of growth. Immigration actually creates more employment by growing the economy. A greater number of economically active workers in the UK means there are more producers and consumers; both of which are essential components of a functioning economy. Migrant workers support key areas of the economy which in turn stimulates further employment, for example by buying goods in the shops and supporting other services. Migrant workers do not create unemployment. It is the booms and busts of the unregulated free market economy that cause unemployment and create the conditions for migration. History shows us that when the economy booms employers call for immigration. When the economy goes into recession and unemployment is high immigration declines and more people leave the country. So, if you re upset about the unemployment rate, don t blame immigrants. Blame the greedy and reckless bankers, and multinationals who got us into this current economic crisis. Also blame the politicians who failed to protect us by not regulating dodgy financial practices, and who are still protecting those responsible for destroying our economy by cutting our jobs and public services.

10 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 10 TRUTH There is no evidence that migrant workers depress the wages of others. Although on average private sector pay in NI is lower than anywhere else in the UK, in most years since 2004 until the end of 2008, when migration to NI was at its peak, median private sector wages in NI rose more strongly than the UK as a whole. These figures do not suggest any serious negative impact of migrant workers on the NI labour market: in contrast they suggest that migration helped the labour market and the economy to grow. A comprehensive study produced by Migration Advisory Committee in 2012 concluded that the majority of studies estimate that migrants had little impact on average wages, differing in their assessments of whether migrants raised or lowered average wages. Migrant workers do not take jobs at lower rates of pay than others doing the same job. There is legislation in NI to prevent this. Migrant workers cannot be blamed for employers who act illegally by not paying the national minimum wage (which has risen consistently each year) and who violate employment law for their own profits. TRUTH It s the employers who use unregulated and vulnerable workers to boost their profits. A common myth is that migrant workers have driven down wages in the construction industry. Yet wages across the construction industry have risen over the last decade, even for the lowest paid. There is a battle over wages in construction, but it is not because of foreign workers. It stems from employers trying to use unregulated workers of whatever origin and subcontracting to pay less. Renowned trade unionist Jack Dash described working on a London building site in the 1930s in his autobiography, published in This was in the days when Irish immigrant labour was spreading, he wrote, Raw lads from Connemara and Galway were driven through poverty to come over to this country and seek a living and send money home their families. The building workers referred to them as two for halfa-crown. This meant that bosses got two men working for the price of one. Dash added, How true this was I don t know, but like all racial minorities they were scapegoats today it is our coloured brothers who are dehumanised and insulted. He unionised the site and recruited the migrant workers into the union, stopping attempts to undercut wages. There is a lesson here. Companies compete with each other and will always pay as little as they can in wages to boost their profits. But this is not the fault of migrant workers it is the fault of the employers. Those who seek to restrict the number of new workers are aiming at the wrong target. Division among workers is dangerous. An anti-immigrant climate can help the employer pay migrant workers less. By joining a trade union workers, both migrant and local, can unite to protect their wages and conditions of employment. Migrant workers are involved in Trade Unions and in campaigning for fair pay and better standards of employment for all workers. Struggles by migrant cleaners in 2011 in London have won higher pay for many London cleaners in private companies.

11 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 11 TRUTH: Only a small percentage of migrants live in social housing. Social housing providers will establish migrant workers eligibility for housing in Northern Ireland and their housing needs will be assessed in the same way as any other applicant under the Rules of the Housing Selection Scheme. Anyone applying under this scheme will be visited and assessed, registered on a Common Waiting List and allocated property according to the rules of the Scheme. A total of 914 migrant worker households were Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants on 31st July 2012 out of 90,000 homes managed, which is 1% of all households. 79 % of them were families. 754 applications were received from migrant workers applying as homeless in the year to 31st July A research document entitled, A Report on the Experiences of Migrant Workers in Northern Ireland, published by DEL, 2009, also found that: 76% of migrant worker respondents resided in privately rented accommodation. 7% lived in accommodation which they owned. 5% lived with family or friends. 5% lived in Housing Association accommodation. 3% lived in Housing Executive accommodation. 3% lived in accommodation rented from/provided by their employer. 1% had other arrangements. This research also recorded that 6% of the migrant worker respondents had been homeless in NI at one time or other.

12 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 12 TRUTH: People migrate in the direction of available jobs, not in pursuit of unemployment benefit. Another myth is that immigrants come to Britain in order to live on state benefits. But people do not travel around the world in order to be unemployed. Like the many thousands of NI emigrants to countries such as Australia, Canada and the US, migrants to NI come in order to find jobs. All the evidence on economic migration as opposed to the displacement of people by war, conflict or natural disasters is that people migrate in the direction of available jobs, not in pursuit of unemployment benefit. The research document entitled, A Report on the Experiences of Migrant Workers in Northern Ireland, commissioned by DEL found that contrary to some popular beliefs: 61% of migrant worker respondents to the survey did not receive any state benefits at all, with only 3% receiving housing benefit and 3% receiving unemployment benefit. The largest uptake amongst respondents was for Child Benefit (16%), Tax Credit (15%) and Working Tax Credit (13%). Only 3% of the total sample received unemployment benefit. It is also interesting to note that only 50% of respondents with children were currently claiming Child Tax Credit, while only 55% were receiving Child Benefit. 82% of the total sample was registered with a GP, although very few were registered with a dentist. Statistics show that immigrants have a 23% lower probability of receiving benefits than the native population.

13 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 13 TRUTH: There are severe restrictions on the rights of migrants to claim social security. A8 nationals like all other EU nationals have to pass the Right to Reside and Habitual Residence Test in order to claim benefits. A2 nationals face much tougher restrictions. Romanians and Bulgarians can only be employed in the UK if they are skilled workers in authorised work (which is a very difficult category to get placed in as there are extremely rigorous requirements), they are students (they can work for 20 hours a week), or they are self employed (also difficult due to the language barrier and official requirements). They are only entitled to claim benefits when they are in authorised work. If they become unemployed, they can only claim benefits if they have been in this authorised work for 12 months. Non-EU migrant workers are required to pay tax and national insurance like everyone else, but they cannot claim any benefits until they have been granted indefinite leave to remain, or residency, in the UK by the Home office. To apply for indefinite leave to remain the migrant must have lived legally in the UK for a certain length of time (usually between two and five years, depending on current visa status). It is important to note that all EU states had to open their job markets to A8 nationals in May 2011 and some could prove more attractive to migrant workers than the UK.

14 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 14 TRUTH Migrant workers contribute more in taxes than they use in public services. Research conducted by the UK Institute of Public Policy Research calculated up the amount of money used in benefits, public services, etc, for migrants in relation to the tax they contributed. It indicated a substantial annual surplus- i.e. migrants actually subsidise the rest of the population. According to the Home Office, migrants (including international students) made a net contribution of about 3 billion to the UK economy that s worth 1p on income tax. So if the migrants all left taxes would need to rise by 1p or public services cut. A 2009 report by the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM) on migrants from the A8 central and eastern European EU member states found that immigrant populations constituted 0.91% of the UK population, yet contributed 0.96% of total government revenue and accounted for only 0.6% of total expenditures. According to CReAM, A8 immigrants paid 37% more in direct or indirect taxes than was spent on public goods and services which they received. The UK has an ageing population as a result of declining birth rates and the fact that people are living longer. Migrant workers are needed to ensure that there is a sufficient workforce to fill available jobs and pay the taxes that will fund pensions in the future. Strangely, many of those who go on about the costs of immigration also say the country cannot afford to give people decent pensions because there aren t going to be enough people of working age around. Both arguments can t be true. We should also remember that migrants do not only contribute to the UK s economy, but also contribute in wider social and cultural terms. These benefits are much harder to quantify than economic benefits, but are highly visible in our everyday lives in many other ways, such as through more diverse cuisine, richer arts and culture, and increased sporting success.

15 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 15 TRUTH: There is no evidence for this sort of strain due to migration in NI. Far from being a burden on the welfare state, there are large areas of the health service that would collapse without workers from abroad. A quarter of UK nurses were born abroad. Without these people the NHS would fall apart. It s not true that there would be a sudden surge of indigenous workers to fill the gap as they do not have the skills. According to the NHS Migration Impact Forum:- 38% of all doctors working in hospitals in England qualified outside Britain. 40% of the UK s new dentists were born abroad. 20% of those caring for older people were born abroad. Local public service expenditure varies in line with the number of people who need their services, but their revenue grants from central government are determined by estimates of how many migrant workers and their families live there now and projections of how many there are going to be. Where these estimates are wrong there can be pressures on housing, schools and other services. In total, around 13% of all workers in the UK health, education and public administration are migrants. And while they staff public services, immigrants are more likely to be healthy, single and young (of working age) than the population in general and consequently depend less on public services such as healthcare. In the 2010 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey 49 % of people agreed or strongly agreed that the needs of migrant workers children were putting a strain on schools. 39% thought that the number of migrant workers was leading to a shortage of local housing and a higher proportion (59%) thought that a strain was being put on the Health Service. On the other hand in response to the question, Is it good for N Ireland that migrant workers work as doctors and nurses when there is a shortage of medical staff?, vast majority of respondents, 79%, agreed or strongly agreed. There is no evidence for this sort of strain due to migration in NI. Where problems have occurred in other parts of the UK, wildly misreported by right wing newspapers it is not necessarily due to the negative impact of migration. Rather, it was a consequence of poor planning, the system of local government finance and technical problems relating to how the government gathers statistics and uses them to predict behaviour.

16 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 16 TRUTH: There is no problem of overcrowding as a result of migration. According to the Department of Education data, there were a total of 5,632 primary school pupils classified as newcomer in the 2011/12 school year. A newcomer pupil is one who has enrolled in a school but who does not have the satisfactory language skills to participate fully in the school curriculum, and the wider environment, and does not have a language in common with the teacher, whether that is English or Irish. This has previously been referred to as English an Additional Language. This is 3.8% of the primary school pupils in NI. For post-primary school children 2,482 were classified as newcomer in 2011/12. This is 1.7 % of the post-primary school population in NI. There is no problem of overcrowding; in fact there is actually a serious problem of falling enrolment in many rural schools. Inward migration and increased enrolment may actually save schools threatened with closure. There are local schools that are oversubscribed, which is different to overcrowding (overcrowding being when there are too many pupils in each classroom). Locally the schools that are oversubscribed are those where there are the least number of migrant workers. Even if there was overcrowding it would be a matter ultimately for government who plan and provide school provision. As has been shown previously additional migrant workers means additional revenue for the state, so this cannot be reduced to a cost issue. Truth: Many struggle with English when they start school but they catch up as their language improves. Pupils from ethnic minorities match or outshine British children in exams at age 16 despite lagging behind at five, a study by University College London found. The research found that many struggle with English when they start school but they catch up with their British counterparts or even overtake them as their language skills improve. The report Positively Plurilingual: The contribution of community languages to UK education and society has found that bilingual children are far more likely to get top-grade passes in exams in all subjects. A study of Portuguese children at secondary schools in London showed that those who were encouraged to continue studying their native language were five times as likely to achieve five top grade A* to C grade passes at GCSE. The study also found that 11-year-olds in Hackney who speak more than one language at home were outperforming pupils who only speak English, even in reading, in their national curriculum tests. There s some evidence that learning several languages, in childhood, has advantages in other domains: it can lead to better 'executive skills more generally, and to better working memory skills.

17 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 17 TRUTH: Speaking more than one language is beneficial both to individuals and wider society. It is often stressed in popular opinion that migrants have to learn English in order to integrate, which is certainly true. It is a misconception that they do not want to learn. The uptake of English classes in our colleges and community centres is consistently high. Some migrants are prevented from attending English classes due to long and often unsocial working hours. A NI survey of 600 employers conducted by Oxford Economics for DEL, revealed levels of frustration with communication issues with more than two-thirds of organisations employing migrant workers reporting difficulties in this area. It is interesting to note, however, that the difficulties did not prove severe enough for employers to necessitate the provision of additional language training with only 7% providing such training for their foreign employees. We should also look at the issue form another perspective. In a modern society and in the globalised world of today the knowledge of languages and their respective cultures can only bring benefits. Many English speakers seem to believe that wherever they go they can get by speaking English, so there's no point in learning any other languages. Perhaps as a result of this kind of attitude, we are experiencing a generation of state school children at risk of being left monolingual because of a looming crisis in language teaching. In 2004, the Labour government removed modern languages from the "core curriculum". It means that the study of a foreign language is no longer compulsory at schools past age 14. As a result, the number of teenagers taking a modern language has fallen by a third since that was scrapped as a GCSE requirement in Three quarters of schools no longer require pupils to take exams at 16 in French, German or Spanish. For foreign languages not to be obligatory is uniquely British. Every secondary school in Europe ensures that pupils study at least one foreign language up to 18 years old. The so-called "world language", English, is spoken as a first language by just 7% of the world's inhabitants; 75% of people speak no English. Teresa Tinsley, from the National Centre for Languages says: There is evidence that more employers want languages and cultural skills, and the international savvy that language learning brings. People who learn a foreign language earn an extra 3,000 a year. Companies are prepared to pay workers as much as 12% more if they speak or learn a foreign language. The CBI has said that more than a third of British businesses recruit people with languages, but that they are forced to look abroad to meet this need. As our society is changing, we need to be able to communicate across borders and cultures. It has been widely recognised that the UK has a major linguistic asset in its multicultural population which, if developed wisely and inclusively alongside English, has the potential to benefit society as a whole as well as improving the life chances of individual children.

18 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 18 TRUTH: Migrant workers are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators. PSNI statistics for Hate Crimes between April 2011 and March 2012 record that there were 458 crimes with racist motivation (down by 73 from 2010/11) in NI. In the same period there were 696 racist incidents. The most common recorded crimes with racist motivation were criminal damage to a dwelling (135), violence against person with injury (89) and criminal damage to a vehicle (48). A police study in 2008 found that the arrival of immigrants from Eastern Europe into the United Kingdom had not fuelled a rise in crime. According to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of the Cheshire constabulary, and co-author of the study, The evidence does not support theories of a large-scale crime wave generated through migration. In fact, crime has been falling across the country over the past year. Reports of large-scale crime waves associated with migrant workers are racist scare stories aimed at causing community strife. The CReAM (University College London) Discussion Paper entitled, Crime and Immigration: Evidence from Large Immigrant Waves, (2010) discovered that there was no significant increase in crime rates in areas of Britain which had a large number of A8 nationals coming from 2004 onwards. Most harassment experienced by migrant workers probably goes unreported because it takes low-level form such as verbal abuse in shops, bars, taxis and the workplace. TRUTH It is impossible to estimate the number, though official arrest figures are low. Illegal immigrant worker is a highly problematic term as the use of the term illegal stigmatises and criminalises a person, who is not a criminal but is doing nothing more than wanting to work. A more accurate term is undocumented workers or irregular migrants which refers to individuals working in the UK without a legal right to do so. Naturally, there are no information sources which provide any kind of reliable data as to the number of people working without authorisation. The best estimates put the figure of undocumented workers in NI to be a few thousand. Arrest figures in NI seem to indicate that these estimates may be on the high side. The numbers of undocumented workers that have been arrested for working in NI without the correct documentation in the last five financial years are:- 14 in ; 8 in ; 44 in ; 8 in ; 41 in ; In some cases undocumented workers enter the country illegally. They may have been smuggled into the country by organised criminals who make a profit from this process. Undocumented workers may be the victims of human trafficking and are often exploited when they reach the UK. Migrants are coerced into entering the destination country by means of threat, abduction, or deception. Exploitation includes prostitution, forced labour and slavery.

19 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:08 Page 19 TRUTH: Asylum seekers are people who leave their country due to fear of torture or persecution and apply for protection. By definition there is no such thing as an illegal asylum seeker. Britain signed the 1951 Convention on Refugees, which codifies in law that anyone has the right to apply for asylum in the UK and remain until a final decision on their application has been made. The Press Complaints Commission has issued guidance to journalists following complaints stating that the term illegal asylum seeker breaches its code of practice as it leads to misleading or distorted terminology. (Guardian 23 October 2003) The fact that an asylum seeker may have entered the country illegally does not mean his or her case lacks credibility. It is virtually impossible for people fleeing persecution to reach Britain without resorting to the use of false documents. The UK asylum system is strictly controlled and complex. It is very difficult to get asylum. The decision-making process is extremely tough and many people s claims are rejected. Asylum applications increased from 1987 to 2003, but have played a declining role in overall migration since 2004, as part of a trend across Europe. Asylum applications (excluding dependents) rose from 4,256 in 1987 to a peak of 84,130 in 2002, and then declined to 19,865 in Between 2004 and 2011, asylum ranged from 4% to 11% of net migration to the UK, and was estimated at 7% for Truth: Only a small proportion of the world refugees live in Britain. About 80% of the world s refugees are living in developing countries, often in camps. Africa and Asia between them host more than three quarters of the world s refugees. Europe looks after just 14%. The UK is home to less than 2% of the world s refugees out of 16 million worldwide. For example, over 520,000 refugees have fled the conflict in Sudan to neighbouring countries, yet only 265 Sudanese people applied for asylum in the UK in The likelihood that a refugee will be recognised as having protection needs and granted asylum status depends on the country where they apply for asylum. In Europe, the proportion of people granted asylum varies widely, from 3% in Slovenia to 77% in Finland. Asylum claims in the UK per capita are below the European average: for 2011, the UK received 0.41 asylum applications per 1000 inhabitants, compared to 0.65 across Europe. It is difficult to establish the exact number of asylum seekers and refugees living in Northern Ireland as figures are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole. However, the Refugee Action Group estimates that as of December 2006 around 2,000 refugees currently reside here. There are about 200 applications per year, although not all of these, if successful, would necessarily settle in Northern Ireland. Many refugees and asylum seekers hope to return home at some point in the future, if the situation in their country has improved. This was the case with Chilean and South African refugees.

20 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:09 Page 20 TRUTH Asylum seekers cannot claim welfare benefits and most of them live in poverty. Asylum seekers do not come to the UK to claim benefits. In fact, most know nothing about welfare benefits before they arrive and had no expectation that they would receive financial support. Most asylum seekers are living in poverty and experience poor health and hunger. Asylum seekers are banned from working, forcing them into the very dependence on benefits for which they are criticised. They have to rely on state support this can be as little as 5 a day to live on. Asylum seekers are not allowed to claim mainstream welfare benefits. Those who are destitute can apply to the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) for basic food and shelter. A single adult is eligible for a week. A married couple are entitled to Home Office research has found that while there is a higher proportion of qualifications and skills among asylum seekers than among the UK population as a whole, asylum seekers and refugees are consistently the most underemployed group in Britain. TRUTH Asylum seekers do not jump the queue for social housing and they cannot choose where they live. The Housing Executive has a contractual relationship with the UK Border Agency to provide and make available a range of temporary accommodation which will meet the essential living needs of eligible Asylum Seekers during the period of their application for asylum. As Asylum Seekers, prior to a positive decision on their status, have no recourse to public funds or services, the service and accommodation provided through the Housing Executive is fully funded by the UK Border Agency and is separate from the social housing available and allocated through the Common Selection Scheme/ Waiting List. No asylum seekers are allocated social housing through the Common Selection scheme. Once a positive decision has been made an asylum seeker is granted refugee status and is entitled to apply for social housing on the same basis as anyone else. As with all applicants, housing will be allocated by position on the waiting list determined by housing need (based on points) and dependant on demand for and supply of social housing in whichever area the applicant chooses. In international and national law, distinctions are made between refugees, asylum seekers, legal and illegal economic migrants, minority citizens, travellers and others. These distinctions are all too easily lost by the media, and most particularly in the tabloid press.

21 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:09 Page 21 TRUTH Sports clubs, churches and community associations are experiencing a new lease of life as migrant workers and their families participate in local activities. Whilst migrant workers are often bi and tri lingual, English may not be one of their languages and accessing classes can be difficult due to long and unsocial working hours and courses are often very expensive. High levels of racism and xenophobia can make migrant workers nervous about approaching local groups and networks. Why don t you take the first step and make them feel welcome? Or are you a member of a group that could run a language or conversation class locally? After all we are meant to be renowned for our openness, hospitality and good craic. Many organisations hold public events throughout the year to introduce locals to ethnic minority cultures. Why not attend?

22 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:09 Page 22 A Report on the Experiences of MigrantWorkers in Northern Ireland, Institute for Conflict Research, published bydelni MYTH AND MAXIM : Myth Busting Report on Asylum Seekers and Refugees, Birmingham race action partnership The Economic, Labour Market and Skills Impacts of MigrantWorkers in Northern Ireland, Oxford Economics, December 2009, published by DELNI, labour_market_and_skills_impact_of_migrant_workers_in_ northern_ireland.pdf Crime and Immigration: Evidence from Large ImmigrantWaves, CReAM (University College London) Discussion Paper (2010) Forced to flee, Refugee Action Group Good Morning Brothers! by Jack Dash, Lawrence and Wishart, 1969 Migrant crime wave a myth - police study The Guardian Myth-busting facts and figures about refugees and asylum seekers, National Assembly Against Racism School achievement: Children from ethnic minorities match or outstrip white children by the end of compulsory education, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration, Department of Economics at University College London The Benefit of Migration: new evidence of the fiscal costs and benefits of migration to the UK from Central and Eastern Europe, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration, Department of Economics at University College London Attitudes towards Migrants Results from the NI Omnibus Survey Claire Hood, Analytical Services, DEL, Labour Market Bulletin, March 2011, published by DELNI, Labour Market Bulletin, March 2011, published by DELNI, Languages forall: Languages for Life: A Strategy for England (2002) Department for Education and Skills: MigrantWorkers in Northern Ireland Published June 2004 by the Institute for Conflict Research. Migration and migrant workers in Northern Ireland, By Chris Gilligan, Aston University, ARK social and political archive NI Migration Policy Brief, British Chambers of Commerce, 9 December 2009 North East Strategic Migration Partnership [NESMP] Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)

23 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:09 Page 23 Personnel today Positively Plurilingual: The contribution of community languages to UK education and society (2006), London: The National Centre for Languages (CiLT): TELL IT LIKE IT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT ASYLUM, Refugee Council _like_it_is_23_march.pdf The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration, A Cross-Departmental Submission to the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs The Low Pay Commissionhttp:// The numbers of immigration offenders that have been arrested for working illegally in Northern Ireland in the last five financial years, according to Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative) The Office for National Statistics. Trade Union Friends of Searchlight UK economy gains from migrant workers says TUC UK Migration Parliamentary Group Unison Irish Central British Chamber of Commerce vey%20-%20small%20businesses.pdf vey%20-%20medium%20and%20large%20businesses.pdf Housing Executive Black and Minority Ethnic and Migrant Worker Mapping Update - January pdf Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey Department of Education School Census Data Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford UK Border Agency Analysis of the Impacts of Migration by Migration Advisory Committee (2012) PSNI Trends in Hate Motivated Incidents and Crimes Recorded by the Police in Northern Ireland 2004/05 to 2011/12 Census 2011 Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

24 2013Myths-im not aracist but...:layout 1 17/4/13 15:09 Page 24 Migrant Workers Support Unit Irish Congress of Trade Unions 4 6 Donegall Street Place Belfast BT1 2 FN T: T: Produced by Migrant Workers Support Irish Congress of Trade Unions The Migrant Workers Support Unit s aim is to work towards the elimination of racism, discrimination, exploitation and barriers in accessing services for migrant workers. We offer support, advice and representation to migrant workers who experience problems at work and information on trade union membership.