Transcript Assessing the impact of different migrations in different

Assessing the impact of different
migrations in different locations
Background to recent EU migration trends
• The background to recent
Eastern European begins
with the EU Schengen
Agreement in 1985.
• This abolished border
controls between EU /
European countries who
signed up (the UK did not
sign).
• Schengen enshrines the
principle that people are
citizens of the Europe and
can move freely within it.
•
EU enlargement
Enlargement occurred in 2004 when a
large number of countries joined:
• Malta
• Cyprus
And the ‘Accession 8’ (A8 countries)
former eastern bloc countries:
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Poland
• Slovenia
• Czech Republic
• Slovakia
• Hungary
These 10 were joined by 2 more former
eastern bloc countries in 2007 (A2
countries): Bulgaria and Romania
• Romania
• Bulgaria
Most countries already within the EU
chose not to allow free movement
of the new EU citizens, into their
countries. The exceptions to this
were the UK, Ireland and Sweden.
As non-Schnegen signatories it
should, in theory, be easier for
the UK and Ireland to control immigration.
Sweden decided migration would
be economically beneficial.
EU membership timeline
1957
1973
France
Denmark
West Germany
Ireland
Netherlands
United Kingdom.
1981
Greece
1986
1995
2004
2007
Portugal
Austria
Cyprus
Bulgaria
Spain
Finland
Czech Republic
Romania
Sweden
Estonia
Belgium
Hungary
Luxemburg
Latvia
Italy
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
The compulsory case study for migration to the UK
Remember that the UK did not
sign the Schengen agreement
preferring to control their own
borders but allowed migration
from the A8 countries who joined
the EU in 2004.Only the UK,
Ireland and Sweden allowed this
so had a massive influx of
migration – but this will change
as the other EU members have
opened their borders and UK
may start losing migrants)
Over 1 million migrants from eastern Europe have arrived
in the UK since 2004 but the largest group have come
from Poland 57% of the total
Explain where the most migrants
came from and why they are
attracted to the UK
People come to the UK as it is seen as a tolerant place for migrants, it has
many job opportunities, there is a lot of low skilled jobs that need filling
(such as vegetable picking) and wages are higher than many in the home
country. There are better amenities and services. (A better quality of life,
with improved health care and education). There are many established
ethnic groups which provide a home from home community.
A8 economic migrants
Highest proportion of applicants
were Polish (57% of the total),
followed by Lithuanian (15%) and
Slovak (11%) applicants.
The type of jobs they come over to do
1.Admin & business
2. Hospitality & catering
3. Agriculture
4. Manufacturing
5. Food processing
36%
20%
11%
7%
5%
Increase in admin/business
Decrease in catering roles
Why?
•Unemployment is high in Poland (at 2035%. 40% of the unemployment is
youths - hence why it is younger
generations coming to the UK
• Low wages – around 40% of the
European average (they take mainly low
paid jobs in the UK but that is still more
than the wages they would get at home)
Polish economic migrants
Specific Pull factors
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The lifting of restrictions in the UK with the A8 countries joining the EU in
May 2004
A8 nationals coming to the United Kingdom are legally allowed to
work, if registered with the Government's Worker Registration Scheme
Polish newspapers full of recruitment adverts from agencies
Higher wages eg nurses can earn 4 times the amount than back
home
Free health care – NHS spent £350 million on maternity services for
foreign-born mothers
Free education
Cheap accommodation – the housing in the UK is cheaper and of
better quality
Ease of migration – Only UK, Ireland & Sweden decided to allow
unlimited migration from the new member countries in 2004
Good Exchange rate – migrants send remittances (money) home to
their families
Polish economic migrants
Specific Push factors
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Increased insecurity and lower living standards in Poland
Unemployment: 20 – 35%
40% youth unemployment rate.
Low income levels per capita - around 40% of the European
average
Cuts in the public sector have meant that workers have faced
falling real wages and an intensification of work.
A reduction in farm subsidies is on the horizon in the form of the
Hausner Plan.
Low availability of housing – in 2004 there were 300 dwellings for
every 1000 people
The economic push and pull
Its clear from this graph why people from the A8 countries are wanting to move to
the UK, and in the future to other countries, when their average GDP is so much
lower than the original EU15
The geographical pattern of Eastern European
migrants in the UK
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City of London
Boston
Westminster
Northampton
South Holland
Peterborough
Fenland
East Cambridgeshire
Herefordshire
Dungannon
Within the UK the A8 migrants are spread out in a totally new pattern but many are
concentrated in rural areas as well as cities – which brings problems to those areas as services
may be strained.
They settle all over the UK but
there is certain areas that they
are found in abundance.
Hotspot areas include:65000 in
the east (vegetable picking),
59000 in London, 51000 in the
Midlands and 32000 in Scotland.
(fishing industry)
Top areas
include:
City of London
Boston (east)
Westminster
Northampton
Peterborough
Fenlands
East Cambridge
Scotland
Impact on population – a crowded island?
• 60% of immigrants
concentrated in SE and
London
• London set to regain
‘mega-city’ status.
• Ghettoisation an issue
• So too is volume of
housing needed
• Some areas, such as
Scotland will soon see
falling populations
Concentrations of people born outside the UK
Source Benefits
Economic Polish
economy grows
because money
is sent back to
Poland
Social
Skills learnt
can be taken
back to Poland
Unemployed
reduced
Environm Less pressure
ental
on resources
such as land
Source Negatives
Shortage of labourers as most
migrants are working age =
economy doesn’t grow as much
Migrants who plan to settle only
send around 8% remittances home
Host Benefits
Fills skills gaps –
many are highly skilled
Economic turn around
Add 4-5% to regional
output (West Midlands)
Workers will work for
less than British workers
Poland’s population has fallen
Birth rate decreased as people of
reproductive age are leaving
Growing worker exploitation of
polish
Significant amounts of ‘brain
drain’
Ageing population develops
Family break up as generally
young men migrate leaving families
behind
A culture of emigration and a
sense that leaving is a good thing societies undervalue themselves
Migration of working
age has helped the
problems caused by the
UKs ageing population
Young migrants pay
taxes which support
older retired people
Increased culture as
Polish products have
opened up areas
Numbers attending
Catholic church has
increased
Host Negatives
Money earned by the
polish workers isn’t all
spent in the UK but send
home to Poland
Drives wages for jobs
down
Exploitation from
agency ‘masters’
Increased strain on
services e.g. education/
health care
Social/cultural tensions
Perception and
prejudice
Increased crimes
Overcrowding
Demand for resources
such as housing leads to
shortages, rising prices
etc
Language support
needed
Increased immigration
from Poland has meant
more air travel = global
warming
Increased congestion,
urban air pollution and
urban sprawl
Summary of some key points about
migration of Poles to UK:
Eastern European migrants who have moved to the UK
have done so mainly for work. They include:
– migrants around 30 years old with vocational training or
secondary education and some work experience
– young migrants, just finished vocational training or secondary
education: 80% of all A8 migrants to the UK are 18–34 years old;
18–24-year-olds form the largest age group (43% of total
migrants)
– young and unmarried migrants with a tertiary education keen to
brush up their language skills and attain some working
experience abroad
– highly-educated specialists with work experience
– The vast majority of the 800,000 to 1 million
migrants who have come to the UK since 2004
are from Poland.
– There are also significant numbers from Latvia,
Lithuania and Slovakia.
– These migrants represent 4–5% of the labour
force of their source countries (2007).
– In the past, immigration has tended to
concentrate in urban areas.
– The distribution of A8 migrants is highly unusual.
– Many have settled in rural areas and work on
farms and in food processing.
– The UK’s A8 rural hotspots are: Boston,
Peterborough,
Fenland,
Herefordshire
and
Dungannon.
– In 2007 10% of the people living in some rural
areas were immigrants.
⁻ Temporary immigrants send about 25% of their earnings home as remittances.
⁻ Immigrants who plan to settle in the UK send only about 8% home.
⁻ For Poland, this income amounted to around €6.4 billion in 2006, or 2.5% of
Polish gross national income (GNI).
⁻ Average earnings in the UK for the Poles are only about £6 per hour.
⁻ There is also a growing problem with worker exploitation as unscrupulous
gangs prey on A8 workers.
⁻ A significant brain drain is also occurring from Poland.
⁻ For some A8 countries, the loss of its more able workforce is significant.
Update
• A large number of the 1.4 million eastern European migrants previously
living in the UK left and returned home in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
• Almost half of the A8 migrants have returned home, leaving 700,000 in
the UK.
• The reasons relate to the global economic downturn and social reasons:
when it joined the EU in 2004, Poland’s unemployment was at 20%,
whereas the British economy was strong and there were plenty of jobs.
• The Polish currency (the zloty) has since strengthened against the pound
making work in Britain less rewarding for migrants.
• But now the UK economy is struggling while Poland’s is actually growing
healthily (in fact it is the world’s 20th largest!).
• Warsaw has an unemployment rate below that of London and some Polish
firms are flourishing and can put together attractive financial offers to
entice people back home.
• Many young, well-educated Poles have been doing demeaning work in
Britain for which they are overqualified.
• They are glad to return home for more rewarding employment, closer to
their families.
Reading – compulsory case study
Poles to UK
• Pearson (better) p 106-109
• Philip Allan – p138-140
Migration compulsory case study:
UK to Spain (the Costa del Sol)
Migration to the Costas
• The Spanish Costas have long been a popular
destination for Northern Europeans
• 1.8 million properties are foreign owned, with
600,000 of them being British
• A lot of them are holiday owned, but a large
number are permanent residents
• 60% of migrants are over 45, with a large part
of this being a retired population, business
owners and property speculators
What has lead to people migrating
– push and pull factors
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Spanish Climate - 10°C warmer than Britain and has less rainfall, with
leads to improved health
Lower property prices in Spain and value of properties in UK have
increased meaning when these are sold there is a lump sum of
money to support them through their retirement
Lower tax rates
50 – 60% lower utility bills – reduced cost of living
Life style – Laid back, slower pace of life
Lower crime rate and absence of ‘youth’ culture
Family/friends – many have holidayed there or already have family
living there
A reduction in ‘distance’ and improved accessibility:
– Rise of low cost air lines have made the cost of travelling a lot
cheaper so people can afford to fly back to the UK regularly
– Long term road building programme in Spain
– Increased internet use
Problems of moving to the Costa’s
Negatives
Housing Although housing is cheaper many areas have no access to mains
water so have to use deposit tanks which isn’t safe to drink
50000 illegal homes built in Spain and many Britain’s have brought
these
Valencia law – allows developers to build on part of your land if it
will improve the area for other people
Often purpose build accommodation is isolated
•Coastal development has lead to destruction of natural landscape
•Inflation of property prices
Services Postal system is not very organised
Health system struggles to cope with increased demand
Health care bills very expensive (no National Health Service and
they are away from their families often)
Isolated retirement communities and designed for people in good
health, not for people who are frail
Language barrier – people struggle to communicate and integrate
Social
with locals = conflicts
Reading and tasks
• Pearson (better) p 110- 112
• Philip Allan p 140-141
Managing Migration
Policy
Advantages
Disadvantages
Border Controls
Physical borders, policing,
passports and visas all gov’s to
count people in and out
Cost of installing systems –
UK’s border control runs at £2
billion. May put of potential
highly skilled migrants
Work Permits
Allows temporary workers to
be controlled and matched to
skills shortages
Can be abused, with some not
leaving when their time is up
and becoming illegal
immigrants
Refugees and asylum seekers
Prestige gained by accepting
vulnerable groups and
respecting human rights
Public may perceive refugees
and asylum seekers as a cost
with few benefits attached.
Asylum system is costly.
Integration
Citizenship tests such as in the
UK and USA might help
integration by expecting a
basic level of language and
understanding of cultural
norms
Critics argue passing a test
does not prevent social
tensions and racism
UK policy on immigration
The policy tries to balance the costs of migration with the benefits and only
allows certain migrants: genuine applications, favouring those with skills and
education, and the Worker Registration scheme (WRS) allows those who will fill
low-skill, low wage gaps.
In 2005/2006 2.75 million applied for a visa to the UK, which is 57% more than in
2001/2002, and around 20% were refused due to forged documents.
In 2008 the UK introduced the 5 Tier points based system from non-EU
immigrants:
Tier One: Highly skilled - This tier includes entrepreneurs, top scientists and
business people. No job offer will be required.
Tier two: Skilled with job offer - People with qualifications / work-related
experience; job offer in a "shortage area" such as nursing.
Tier three: Low skilled - Workers from the expanded European Union, who do not
need prior permission to arrive.
Tier four: Students - Those paying for tuition in the UK.
Tier five: Temporary workers, Youth mobility - Professional sports people or
professional musicians, who want to work in the UK for an event such as the
Olympics or a football match, or a concert. The youth mobility aspect is intended
to cover cultural exchanges or working holidays by young people.
Update!
• The new (2010)David Cameron coalition government announced it would
be “tough” on migration by cutting net migration to below 100,000 from
300,000 per year.
• But it ran into trouble when business leaders announced that a cap on
visas for skilled workers – set at 24,100 – was not enough.
• Business bosses think that this will threaten the UK’s role as a global hub –
and Indian, Chinese and Brazilian TNCs will be unimpressed that they
cannot transfer more staff to the UK.
• It is becoming harder for government to look tough on migration because
fewer Brits are leaving due to the weak pound and fewer opportunities
overseas due to the global recession. This means that net migration figure
may rise even if fewer immigrants arrive!
• Foreigners with a student visa are the largest group of migrants
that enter the UK each year.
• Universities rely heavily on the high fees paid by foreign
students.
• Higher tuition fees for UK home students may reduce this
dependency in future years.
• The government has been looking into possible inappropriate
use of student visas eg London Metropolitan University
• Total net migration for the UK is still positive.
• 512,000 people arrived in the UK during 2008 while 395,000 left. The net
balance was an in-flow of 117,000.
• So although the rate of net migration is slower, it is still positive.
• Campaign group MigrationWatch UK therefore believes the population of
the UK will still grow to exceed 70 million within 25 years, even with
reduced levels of net immigration.
• With fewer Britons leaving to go to Spain (due to the poor exchange rate
and greater financial uncertainty) there is less out-migration to offset inmigration
• so expect net migration to stay positive for the foreseeable future!
May 2010
Answering examination
questions on migration
This is a good Section A response that would score
full marks: it uses precise examples and answers
directly using clear language
Answering examination questions
Jan 2010
Now try to attempt
part (a) for
homework using
Figure 10 and some
of the information
contained in this
presentation
P 142-143 Philip Allan
• Read!
• Then p 113 Pearson Exam practice Qs!