Migration in Contemporary Britain
Davide Però and Elisabetta ZontiniIdentity, Citizenship and Migration Centre(University of Nottingham)
TCN meeting,
Marsala, 8-9 April 2010
Introduction
• New Migrations in Britain
• Policy Context
• Political Rights
• Employment
• Best Practices
New Migrations in Britain
• UK as a country of new immigrations and ‘superdiversity’ (Vertovec 2006)
Total in thousands
Work Related in thousands
Inflow 512 202
Outflow 395 209
Net +118 -7
Thousands %British 71 14
Foreign 440 84Total 512 100
Inflow by nationality, 2008Source: Metcalf, 2009.
Policy Context
• 1960-2000: Multiculturalism
• 2000s: Neo-assimilationism and backlash against diversity
• Renewed hostility against migrants
...Policy Context
• Government Policy increasingly unfavourable
• New naturalisation rules (Citizenship Test)
• ‘earned’ and ‘probationary’ citizenship
• Introduction of the Points Based System for migrant workers
• Raise in racist incidents (Council of Europe)
Political rights
• No voting rights for migrants from non-Commonwealth countries
• No general election vote for EU citizens
• Migrants not politically passive
Employment
• Most common reasons for non-EU migration = study and family
• Migrant workers = deskilling, exploitation and discrimination in the job market
• Higher unemployment rates and concentration in low paid ‘elementary jobs’
• Asylum seekers excluded from labour market destitution
Best Practices
• Strangers into Citizens
• Justice for Cleaners
• Migrants Rights Networks
• Migrants’ Health Rights Campaign
• Cultural Politics