DebunkingtheMythsandtheRacialEqualityStrategy

WorkingtowardsRacialEqualityinNorthernIrelandconference

February2016

Migration:globaldimension

• 244millionmigrantsworldwide,3.3%ofglobalpopulation(2015),incl.20millionrefugees

• 2outof3internationalmigrantslivedinEuropeorAsia• nearlyhalfofallinternationalmigrantsworldwidewereborninAsia• inmanypartsoftheworld,migrationoccurs

primarilybetweencountrieslocatedwithinthesamegeographiczone.

• 87%ofinternationalmigrantslivinginAfricaoriginatedfromanothercountryofthesameregion(82%Asia)

• 70millionpeoplearoundtheworldclaimIrishorScotsIrishroots

Globalandlocal

Opportunities:• averyimportant contribution tosocialandeconomicdevelopment

bothinthecountriesoforiginandinthecountriesofdestination• broadens theopportunities availabletoindividuals• crucialmeansofbroadeningaccesstoresourcesandreducingpoverty

Challenges :• Braindrain• Exploitationandracisminhostcountries• Victimsofhumantrafficking,sexualexploitationandforcedlabour

Throughouthumanhistory,migrationhasbeenacourageousexpressionoftheindividual’swillto

overcomeadversityandliveabetterlife.

Youdon’treallybelievethat,or,doyou?

§ 37%ofrespondents thinkthatNorthern Irishpeopleareveryprejudiced towardspeoplefromminorityethniccommunities

§ 48%ofrespondents feelthatmigrantworkerstakejobsawayfrompeoplewhowereborninNorthernIreland.

§ 30%ofrespondentsagreeorstronglyagreethatmigrantworkerscometoNorthernIrelandjusttogetsocialsecuritybenefits

§ 70%ofrespondents feelthatthenumberofmigrantworkerscomingtoNorthernIrelandputsastrainonservices.

PublicperceptionofmigrationintheUK

ØThepublic’saverageguessofthesizeoftheUK’sforeignbornpopulationis31% (inreality13%-IpsosMori2014)

Ø “Imaginedimmigration”complexcauseandeffect,weoverestimatecertaingroupsbecausetheyworryus

ØDifferencesinperception§ typeofmigration(professionalsvs.unskilled);§ nationalvs.localconcern (disjunction,manyseeitasnationalproblembutnotintheirarea)§ classlessissuenow,butincomegroupshavedifferentreasonsforconcern(i.e.jobsandhousing

forlowerincome,benefitsandpublicservicesforhigherearners)§ generational§ regional

Ipsos Mori 2014

PublicperceptionofmigrationintheUK

however,newspaperreadership ismuchmorelikelytobesignificantlyrelatedtoconcernabout immigration thananyothermeasure

Notnecessarilyacausaleffect,aspeoplepartlychoosenewspapersbecausetheyreflecttheiralreadyformedviews

BUT- thereisareinforcinginteractionbetweenthepublic,politiciansandthe

mediaandcauseandeffectruninalldirections- apollfoundthat78percentofrespondentsofallethnicbackgrounds

believe thatmediaportrayalofminoritiesencouragesdiscrimination(Guardian2014)

- onlyatinyminorityofjournalists,producers,newscommentatorscomefromBMEbackground,whitemiddle-classbiasandestablishmentviews

Challenges• PublicdebatearoundimmigrationintheUKhasbecomeincreasingly

toxic:migrantsdemeanedanddemonised, refugeecrisisandBrexitdebateintensifiedxenophobia

• Publicperception(“imaginedimmigration”)istoalargeextentinfluencedbythemediaà media,esp.publicmediahaveagreatresponsibility

• Importanceofearlyeducationinitiativesandexposure todiversity(butchallengesofdividededucationinNI)beforenegativeperceptionsareformed

• Governmentpolicyframework– mainstreamracialequality,involvestakeholders

• Mythbustingandpromotionofdiversityshouldstillbecontinued,butitisdifficultinthecontextofnegativestereotypinginthemedia,aspeopledonotoftenbelieve thefacts

Truthvs.mythsNeedtocontinuouslychallengenegativestereotypingandpromotepositiveimpactofmigrationandmigrants

I’mNotaRacist,but…

“Therearetoomanyofthemhere”

“They’re takingallourjobs”

“They’re forcingdownpayratesandundercutting localworkers”

“They’rebenefittourists”

“Theycontributenothing”

“Therearetoomanyofthemhere”

2011Census• 82,000peoplelivingherewhowherebornoutsidetheUKorRoI• 4.5%population• Biggestnationalgroups,accordingtofirstlanguage:

– Polish(19,658)– Lithuanian(7,341)– Indian(4,796)– American(4,251)– German(3,906),Filipino,Slovakian,Canadian,Latvian,Chinese

• Numberstoosmall tohaveanysignificant impact• Numbersof“illegalmigrants”small

“They’retakingallourjobs”SmallproportionofNIworkforce

• whilelocalemployerswouldchoosetoemployanativeworkerinpreferencetoamigrantgivencandidatesofequalability,37%ofNIemployersreporteddifficulties

• employershaverecruitedmwtofillskillsgapsand labourshortages(highandlowendsoflabourmarket)

• 31% ofemployerssaid migrantshadbeen “important”fortheirorganisation’ssurvival,morethan50% inhealthandsocialcare andinagriculture(2009surveyof600NIemployers)

• certainsectors,suchaselements offoodprocessing,couldhavedisappearedentirelyfromNI

• farfrom“taking”jobsmware saving,maintainingandcreatingawidevarietyofemployment

• MigrantscreateoneineverysevennewcompaniesintheUK andareresponsibleforcreating14%ofBritishjobs (Belfastisinthetop10formigrantentrepreneurship(CentreforEntrepreneurs)

“They’reforcingdownpayratesandundercutting localworkers”

NOseriousnegativeimpactofmigrantworkersonNIlabourmarket

• migrationhelpedthelabourmarketandtheeconomytogrow

• low-skilledandlow-paidoccupations‘occupational segregation’– minimaldisplacement

• discriminationillegal- mwnottobeblamedforemployerswhodonotpayminimumwageandbreachemploymentlegislation

• forcedlabour,humantrafficking,exploitation– moderndayslavery

“Theyarebenefittourists”

• peoplemigrateforjobs, NOTforunemploymentbenefit

• employmentfigures formigrantsarehigherthanthoseofthegeneralpopulation,themosteconomicallyactiveresidentsagedbetween16and74accordingtolanguagespoken:Malayalam(92%);Slovak(90%),Tagalog/Filipino(90%);Lithuanian(87%);Polish,(84%);Latvian(85%);Hungarian(84%),Russian(82%);Portuguese(77.5%);English(66%);Irish(66%);

• severe restrictionsontherightsofmigrantstoclaimsocialsecurity– recentchangeshavemadeitevenmoredifficultandaffected returningIrishandBritishclaimants;morerestrictionsontheway

• immigrantshavea23%lowerprobability ofreceivingbenefits thanthelocalpopulation

“Publicservicescan’tcopewiththeinflux”

NOevidenceforthissortofstrainduetomigration inNI

• Contribution ofhealthcareprofessionalskeepsNHSoperating:

• 38%ofalldoctorsworkinginhospitalsinEnglandqualifiedoutsideBritain• 40%oftheUK’snewdentistswerebornabroad• 20%ofthosecaringforolderpeoplewerebornabroad• 16%ofnursescomefromaminorityethnicbackground

“Theycontributenothing”

• migrantworkerscontributemoreintaxes thantheyuseinpublicservices

• A8immigrants paid37%moreindirectorindirecttaxesthanwasspentonpublicgoodsandserviceswhichtheyreceived

• ageingpopulation- migrantworkersareneeded

• notonlyeconomiccontribution,but• skills

• education

• qualifications

• previousworkexperience

• entrepreneurship

• contactsandglobalnetworks.

• widercontributiontosociety:diversity,music,food,customsandtraditions

CommonPlatformRacialEqualityStrategyAcoalitioncampaigningforamorerobustandfitforpurposeRacialEqualityStrategy.

• Signedbyover80organisations.

• Keyissues:

• ReformoftheRaceLawEqualityLegislation• Identifyandprioritise keyinequalities anddevelopactionstoaddressthem:

health,education,employment• Integrateracialequality intotheworkoftheDepartmentsà identifystrategic

andevidencebasedactions• Introductionofethnicmonitoringoftheuseofpublicservices toestablish

progress• Resources

CommonPlatformRacialEqualityStrategy

• Strategyreleased inDecember2016

• Coalitionconcentrates itseffortsonthecompositionoftheRacialSubgroup,developing anActionPlanandimplementingtheStrategy

• Importanceofthegovernment frameworktotackleinequalitiesandhighlightthecontributionofethnicminorities