Will They Stay Or Will They Leave?
Understanding Migration and its impact in Rural Scotland
Philomena de Lima
Work Group Stream 1.2: Geographic Mobility and its Impacts on
Rural Community Structure and Change
European Society for Rural Sociology Congress ,
17-21 August 2009,Vaasa , Finland
Structure of Presentation
• Context: Scotland
• Studies
• Key Findings
• Concluding thoughts and Questions
Context: Scotland
• Location
• Population and Land by Geographic Area
• Age Distribution of Population of Rural
Areas
• Policy Context
Location- Scotland
Percentage of Population and Land by
Geographic Area, 2006
Cited in Scottish Government (2008, p6) Source: General Register Office for Scotland, 2007 (2006 mid-year estimates
based on data zones) (Based on Scottish Executive Urban Rural Classification, 2005-2006
Age Distribution of Population in Rural Areas,
Scotland, 2006
Cited in Scottish Government (2008, p7)Source: General Register Office for Scotland, 2007 (2006 mid-year estimates on data zones) (Based on Scottish
Executive Urban Rural Classification, 2005-2006)
Policy Context
• Scottish Devolution (1999): Scottish Government
• Immigration reserved power to UK Government, but
housing , education, justice etc are not reserved
• Scottish population strategy- Attracting migrants: ‘Fresh
Talent Initiative’ ; population growth as part of the
Scottish Government’s ( 2007) economic strategy ;
encouraging migrants to settle
• Equality and human rights framework: UK Govt
• EU expansion: cohesion agenda
Studies
• Research Background
• Research Foci and Methods
• Profile of Migrant Workers
Research Background
• Two studies commissioned by public
agencies:
2005 : de Lima , Jentsch and Whelton :
Scottish Highlands and Islands
2007 : de Lima, Masud, Whelton and
Arshad : Scottish Grampians
Focus: Impacts of migration into rural
Scotland since 2004 and the expansion of
the EU.
Research Foci and Methods
Foci: understanding the role of East European migrant
workers in the labour market; their impact on services;
and support required.
Methods used :
• Identifying trends: secondary data sources/official data
sets
• Qualitative studies ( interviews and focus groups ) :
 Highlands and Islands : 59 employers;36 migrant
workers; approximately 15 service providers
 Grampian: 61 employers; 87 migrant workers; and 46
service providers
Profile of Migrant Workers
• Predominance of Polish workers , but other nationalities
were also involved- e.g. Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian,
Latvian, Lithuanian, Romanian and Slovakian
• The majority were between the ages of 20 and 45 years,
at least half were single and a small number had
dependants aged 16 years or under living with them.
•
The majority had Certificate/Diploma (the equivalent of
Higher National Certificate/Diploma Level) or degree
level qualifications which were not recognised in the UK.
However, most had difficulties in communicating in
English.
• The majority were employed in sectors that required low
levels of skills and paid low wages and were subject to
seasonal variations .
Key Findings
• Drivers : Rural migration in Scotland
• Drivers : Rural migration in sending countries
• ‘Social Integration’
• Factors influencing ‘integration’
• Complex dynamics in understanding ‘integration’
Drivers :
Rural Migration in Scotland (1)
• High demand for labour in sectors such as agriculture, food
processing, tourism, etc
• Difficulties in recruiting local labour because of 3 ‘D’ ( ‘dirty ,
dangerous and degrading’ ) nature of jobs, as well as low wages
and seasonal fluctuations :
“There are not enough local people willing to do heavy, manual or
repetitive work. You can only pay the rate for your industry, and
agriculture is at the low end of pay rates.” (Agriculture, Grampian)
“After speaking to others, I was surprised to find that the best
Country House Hotels employ migrant workers. There are
unemployed Brits but they will not work for the minimum wage. …
Everyone is in the same boat. I would like to employ locals but they
will not do low paid work” (Hotels and restaurants, Scottish
Highlands and Islands )
Drivers :
Rural Migration in Scotland (2)
• ‘Ethnic ranking’ - employer preferences:
‘The Poles are so hard-working they put the British
workers to shame. It's so sad that they are qualified
nurses who have to hide their training and skills to work
as carers. The care sector could not manage without
them.' (Nursing/Care Sector, Grampian)
• Policy : economic growth, population strategy and
demographic trends
• Informal networks and social capital : ‘chain’ migration
Drivers :
Rural Migration in Sending Countries (1)
• Wage differential between the countries of origin
and Scotland, even when it is low paid work by
UK standards :
“The country suffers from lack of money, so
everything is done because of lack of money.
There is a lot of unemployment, there are lots of
educated people … they cannot find
employment.” (Male, Hospitality)
Drivers :
Rural Migration in Sending Countries (2)
Other factors include :
• Quality of life and some cultural similarities:
“I want a better life for my children. There are economic
problems at home with prices which are similar to here
[Highlands], but wages are four times lower. Latvia is like
Scotland and Ireland because of the culture, people, and
landscape; although these are not the same as in Latvia
they are quite similar.” (Female, Fish Processing)
• The opportunity to learn or improve English language
skills
• To be with friends or family
‘Social Integration’
Contested concept; a two way process which is
dynamic and interactive involving adjustments
on the part of migrants, as well as people,
institutions and services in the host society.
‘Integration’ is contingent on and shaped by
complex interactions , e.g. :
• Global, national and local factors
• Heterogeneity of migrant and local populations,
etc
Factors influencing ‘integration’
Rural infrastructure
• Lack of experience in coping with migration
• Weak infrastructures (i.e. institutions, knowledge ,
skills, attitudes, etc) for responding to increasing
cultural diversity
• Cost issues : challenges of delivering services to diverse
populations due to lack of economies of scale
Host’ communities ( under researched area)
• Preparedness of ‘host ‘ communities for living in
increasingly diverse communities
• Resource competition: fears and insecurities
• misinformation about ‘migrants’
Factors influencing ‘integration’
Economic
• Under-utilisation of skills and qualifications
• 3 ‘D’ work which is poorly paid
• Lack of recognition of qualifications
• Language and communication issues
Entitlements
• Poor access to public services: accommodation, language provision,
etc
• Complexities in relation to entitlements/ changing immigration rules
Civic and Social
• Little social interaction with ‘local communities’, but some ‘co-ethnic’
interaction through informal networks and faith based organisations
• Concerns about ‘drink’ culture, issues of distance, cost and lack of
time
• Much time spent on keeping in touch with families in home country
Concluding Questions and
Thoughts
i.
How do we enhance our understanding of the complex and
dynamic relationships between migrant workers as a diverse
group, and local communities, service providers and employers
with regard to processes of inclusion and exclusion, whilst also
taking into account agency?
ii.
How useful are traditional models of migration for understanding
the relationships and tensions between strategies for attracting
overseas migrants and addressing rural repopulation?
iii.
What is the likely impact on migration trends of wage gaps
closing and better exchange rates in sending countries , as well
as the impact of the economic downturn on attracting and
retaining highly qualified migrants , in particular, in rural areas of
Scotland?
(i) Complex dynamics in
understanding ‘integration’
• The tendency in the rural literature is to present migrant
experiences as homogenous, privileging their migrant identity over
and above other identities.
As Sen (2001, p322) for example, argues :
“A person can be Nigerian, an Ibo, a British citizen, a US resident , a
women , a philosopher, a vegetarian, a Christian, a painter and a
great believer in aliens who ride on UFOs – each of these groups
giving the person a particular identity which may be invoked in
particular contexts.”
Research suggests a number of factors may come into play in
understanding ‘ integration’:
 gender, ethnicity, education, language skills, life course stage, age,
etc
 Entitlements
 Reasons for migration
 Access to social networks
(i) Not only Victims
Tendency to portray migrants as invariably victims:
• Migrants may often choose to forgo their welfare needs
and rights
• They may have different expectations of the role of state
in providing services
• Different cultural expectations of services
• Lack of social interaction with local communities may
also be shaped by factors /decisions migrants make
about how they prefer to spend the little time they have
when they are not working .
(ii) Staying or leaving ?
The following are important considerations in making decisions, some
of which have particular rural dynamics at play :
• Motivation for migrating
• Potential for progressing to better paid jobs and /or jobs that utilise
their skills and expertise
•
Access to social networks
• The extent to which issues, such as access to services
( e.g. accommodation, language training , etc) are resolved
• The attitudes and behaviours of local communities towards
migrants; economic downturns can make relationships difficult
(ii) Models of migration?
•
‘Migration’
and ‘integration’ have tended to be studied as two
separate phenomena. Are they two sides of the same coin?
• Migration is complex and fluid: traditional models of immigration as
‘one off’, linear, based on previous experiences of immigration from
ex colonies are not appropriate.
• Also need to consider the extent to which proximity, transport and
telecommunications impact on migration patterns and intentions
regarding settling, etc
• Do we need a different lens to understand recent EU migration from
Eastern Europe in the UK: would ‘labour mobility’ provide a more
useful framework for understanding the movement of peoples from
the recently expanded EU countries ?
• How sustainable are strategies for attracting migration from the
recently expanded EU given the demographic trends in these
countries?
(iii) Migration Trends: key issues
• Circular /return migration of Eastern European migrant
workers to their countries of origin
• Lower earnings and unemployment ( e.g. Accession 8
workers in Britain UK)
• Increase in hostility to migrants among host / majority
populations
• Migrant workers are more than just ‘economic actors’;
“they are also social beings, who put down roots and
form relationships in new countries.” (update 1, 2009)
Longer term trends difficult to predict for rural areas given
their labour market requirements in particular
Selected References
Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) (2007) A8 Migrant Workers in Rural Areas
http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/files/A8%20migrant%20workers%20in%20rural%20a
reas.pdf ( accessed 2.1.09)
Cooke, S. and Spencer, S. (2006) 'Background briefing for Conference on
Integration of Migrants: Engaging employers, unions and the voluntary sector', Central
London, 4 July 2006.
http://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/events/Reports%20Presentations/Background%20paperInte
gration%20of%20migrants.pdf ( accessed 16.1.09)
de Lima, P, Jentsch, B, Whelton, R (2005) 'Migrant Workers in the Highlands and Islands'
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Inverness,
http://www.hie.co.uk/HIE-economic-reports-2005/%20migrant-workers-in-the-highlandsand-islands-report-2005.pdf (accessed 2.1.09)
de Lima, P., Chaudhry,M., Whelton, R. and Arshad, R.(2007) Study of Migrant Workers
in Grampian, Grampian : Communities Scotland
http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/
pubcs_019731.pdf (accessed 12.11.08)
de Lima and Wright (2009), Welcoming Migrants? Migrant labour in rural Scotland in
Social Policy and Society, issue 8:3,391-404
Penninx, R, Spencer, D. and Van Hear, N. (2008) Migration and Integration in Europe:
The State of Research
http://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/publications/reports/Migration%20and%20Integration%20in
%20Europe%20Final%20version.pdf (accessed 20.5.08)
Selected References
Pollard, N., Latorre, M. and Sriskanarajah, D. (2008), Floodgates or turnstiles? Post-EU
enlargement migration flows to (and from) the UK, London: Institute for Public Policy
Research
Scottish Executive (2004), New Scots: Attracting Fresh Talent to Meet the Challenge of
Growth, Edinburgh: The Scottish Executive
Scottish Government (2008) Rural Scotland Key Facts 2008. Edinburgh: Scottish
Government. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/236590/0064863.pdf
(accessed 2.1.09)
Sen, A. (2001) Other People. In Proceedings of the British Academy. 111, p.319-335
http://www.proc.britac.ac.uk/tfiles/228479A/111p319.pdf (accessed 6.10.2007)
Somerville, W. and Sumption, M. (2009 ) Immigration in the United Kingdom: The
recession and beyond. Available at :
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/Immigration-in-the-UK-The-Recession-andBeyond.pdf (accessed 15 May 2009)
Spencer, S., Ruhs, M., Anderson, B. and Rogaly, B. (2007), Migrants lives beyond the
workplace: the experiences of Central and East Europeans in the UK, York: Joseph
Rowntree Foundation
Update 1 – February 2009 : Migration and the Global Financial Crisis: A Virtual
Symposium at http://www.age-of-migration.com/uk/financialcrisis/updates/1a.pdf
(accessed 12 August 2009)
Vertovec, S. ( 2002) Translational Networks and Skilled Labour Migration. Paper given at
Conference : Ladenburger Diskurs “Migration” Gottlieb Daimler-und Karl BenzStiftung, Ladenburgh,14-15 February 2002 at
http://www.transcomm.ox.ac.uk/working%20papers/WPTC-02-02%20Vertovec.pdf
Thank you
Philomena de Lima:
Philomena.deLima@invernessuhi.ac.uk
CRRS website : www.crrs.uhi.ac.uk
CRRS email : crrs@uhi.ac.uk