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1 Executive Summary
1.1 Introduction
Ten countries joined the European Union in May 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Citizens of Malta and Cyprus were granted the same freedom of movement and employment in the United Kingdom as the then existing members of the EU. Similar rights have been extended by the UK government to citizens of the other eight countries. We refer to these states as the 'European Union Eight' ( EU8).
Migration into Edinburgh increased following EU enlargement and members of this emerging community of EU8 migrants began to access services. It was clear that this community would contribute to Edinburgh's economy; however, information on the social and demographic profile and longer term impact of this new group was limited.
This study focuses on the demography of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh and their access to health, housing and other social care services. The research is divided into three sections:
- Community profile: survey of EU8 nationals
- Case study of a frontline homelessness service, the Cowgate Centre
- Survey of agencies working with EU8 nationals
The vast majority of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh have been successful in both finding work and in securing their own accommodation. The City of Edinburgh Council has been quick to welcome new citizens, wherever they come from, as their economic and cultural contribution benefits the whole community. In 2004-2005, EU8 migrants made up approximately 30% of all overseas economic migration into Edinburgh and have filled vacancies that are vital to the growth of Edinburgh's economy as well as contributing to council tax income.
The timing of this research was such that research was not directly undertaken with Bulgarian and Romanian migrants; however, it is proposed that the research findings will have relevance to the planning of services in relation to other new migrant populations.
There has been on-going debate between the then Scottish Executive and local authorities about the rights and entitlements of EU8 migrants to housing and homelessness assistance.
The terms of reference for this study were agreed through the New Member States Migrant Forum, a partnership convened by the City of Edinburgh Council, in collaboration with the then Scottish Executive. The partnership research project was funded through the then Scottish Executive and the City of Edinburgh Council. The research was managed by Edinburgh Cyrenians through a steering group.
1.2 Community Profile of EU8 nationals in Edinburgh
Information on the community of EU8 nationals living in Edinburgh is derived from two sources: official statistical information and a survey of EU8 nationals.
Official statistical information
Sources of information for estimating the size of the EU8 population in Edinburgh are:
- National Insurance Number ( NINo) registrations (available by local authority)
- Home Office data on those registered with the Worker Registration Scheme ( WRS) (only available for Scotland as a region)
These sources are useful but cannot give a definitive account of the number of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh, because the figures do not include:
- those who have applied/registered in another part of the UK and subsequently migrated to Edinburgh
- those who came to Edinburgh and have never applied for a NINo or registered with the WRS (this includes dependents, those not required to register, and those not registered although required to do so)
Conversely, the figures do include:
- those who have applied/registered whilst in Edinburgh and have subsequently moved away from Edinburgh
Using official data, it is difficult to give an accurate figure for the EU8 migrant population in Edinburgh. A conservative estimate, based on NINo allocations, is 6,000. However, this figure is based on NINo allocations over a certain time period; furthermore, it cannot be taken as a definitive number due to the limitations of the data described above.
Survey of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh
The survey of this group has given an insight into the EU8 migrant population in Edinburgh, in terms of demographics and experiences of employment, housing and access to services. 67 EU nationals were surveyed, including respondents from seven of the eight EU8 states. The size of the sample means that we can only treat findings as an indication of this new community, rather than a definitive and an accurate picture. This is particularly the case as more people from the EU8 countries continue to arrive.
- Demographic information
- Most migrants in our sample (58 respondents) were in the 18-34 age bracket
- Most of the respondents (53) were single. 14 respondents were married or in a long-term partnership. 15 respondents were parents, with around half of these having their children with them in Edinburgh
- Most left their countries of origin for economic reasons, and 52 specifically chose Edinburgh as their destination. 37 respondents had friends or family already living in the city
- Almost a quarter (15) expressed the wish to settle permanently in the city, with a further 19 respondents planning to stay for two years or more
- Experiences of employment
- Almost all of the respondents (64) were currently in employment
- 33 respondents were registered with Worker Registration Scheme. Unregistered respondents included those looking for work; those who are self-employed and do not need to register; and those who work and did not register.
- Most of the respondents were employed in the service sector: 42 in hospitality and catering and 10 in retail.
- Our survey indicated that there is a mismatch between educational attainment and type of work undertaken by EU8 migrants in the city: about half of the sample were graduates, yet most were working in low-paid and low-skilled jobs.
- Experiences of housing
- Around two-thirds of the respondents (49) had arranged accommodation in Edinburgh prior to their arrival, with most of these joining friends or family.
- Almost all of the respondents lived in private rented accommodation.
- 40 respondents reported that they had no problems finding accommodation. However, 27 did experience difficulties, including high rental prices, providing references and affording deposits.
- One-third of respondents reported that they had experienced difficulties once in accommodation - the most common difficulty cited was overcrowding.
- Experiences of accessing services
- Most respondents regarded themselves as healthy and more than half of the respondents (39) said that they knew how to access NHS services.
- Only six respondents reported that they needed assistance with issues such as welfare needs, mental health support or learning difficulties; and only one of these had actually contacted a service for support.
- Respondents indicated that to improve accessibility to services, there should be more information in EU8 languages and multi-lingual staff available at key services.
1.3 Case study: the Cowgate Centre and EU8 users
The research design focused initially on the extent to which EU8 migrants were seeking to access homelessness services. However, as the research progressed, it became clear that the proportion of EU8 migrants accessing homelessness services was lower than anticipated and the focus of the study was widened accordingly. Within the overall report, a case study was undertaken which focused on the Cowgate Centre to ascertain the particular needs and aspirations of EU8 migrants who had become homeless or who used the low cost and free facilities offered by this service.
The Cowgate Centre offers support and, where appropriate, shelter to all homeless people over 16, including those who are not entitled to statutory homelessness assistance and who have no recourse to public funds. The numbers of EU8 migrants who have used the services of the Cowgate Centre constitute a small minority of the overall EU8 population in Edinburgh. Qualitative research was undertaken through in-depth interviews with 17 EU8 service-users at the Centre and in other frontline homelessness agencies.
EU8 service-users at the Cowgate Centre can be classified into four main "types":
- Younger EU8 migrants using the service for a short period
- Younger EU8 migrants who continue to use daytime services after moving on to employment and/or accommodation
- Younger EU8 migrants who return for repeated short periods
- EU8 migrants staying for longer periods
Most EU8 service users access the Centre for shelter and support for a short period, whilst securing employment and accommodation. Younger EU8 nationals (under age 40) - who represent the majority - are more likely to possess relatively good English and manage to find work soon after arrival in Edinburgh. A small proportion of EU8 service users at the Cowgate Centre have acute mental health problems and addictions. Meeting their needs is complicated by communication problems and cultural differences.
EU8 nationals using the Centre tend to have one or more of the following characteristics, in comparison with the general sample of EU8 migrants:
- Lower proficiency in English
- A lack of knowledge of, and preparation for, living and working in the UK
- Insufficient funds on arrival
- A lower level of educational attainment
- A lack of information on housing, employment and living conditions in Edinburgh
- A higher proportion of health problems
The Cowgate Centre respondents are determined to find work and be independent. Just like our respondents from the general sample, their main goal is to find work, but due to a combination of various difficulties they come across, that goal is hard for them to reach.
1.4 Survey of services
One of the main aims of this research was to make an assessment of the impact on housing, homelessness, health and social care services by migrants from the EU8. This section of the research was split into two stages:
- Survey of a range of services in Edinburgh, to gain information about their experiences of exposure to and work with EU8 migrants
- Qualitative interviews with several services within City of Edinburgh Council Children and Families department and agencies who work specifically with women
There is very limited firm and documented evidence of work with EU8 migrants by services. Further, the evidence which does exist is not consistent from agency to agency. This limits the extent to which it is possible to assess the impact of EU8 migrants on services. There was a degree of overlap in the findings of the agency survey and the qualitative interviews; however, the specific and particular issues relating to EU8 women and children were extracted from the qualitative interview data.
Survey of agencies: findings
- Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported that there had been an increase in enquiries from EU8 migrants since May 2004
- Data would indicate that the majority of EU8 migrants presenting to services are male
- Respondents reported that EU8 nationals most frequently seek assistance from housing and accommodation services; followed by employment; welfare benefits; health; and language support
- The level of knowledge amongst EU8 migrants about their entitlements to assistance from housing, homelessness, health and social care services was found to be poor
- Language was considered the main barrier in providing services to EU8 migrants, and respondents reported that increased access to interpretation and translation services would make this barrier much easier to overcome
- Staff would benefit from training in: working with interpreters; entitlements to health and welfare benefits; the Worker Registration Scheme; and cultural awareness
Qualitative interviews: findings
- Female EU8 migrants are accessing domestic abuse services, but very limited support can be offered if a woman has no recourse to public funds
- Female EU8 migrants who are fleeing domestic abuse can have more complex issues than indigenous clients, because the sense of isolation from family, friends and familiar culture is increased
- Female EU8 migrants with children can be left in a vulnerable situation if their relationship breaks down: in several cases, women have been left destitute because they have not worked or registered on the WRS
- Families with children are accessing community centres and establishing community groups; however, this is currently concentrated in one area of Edinburgh, meaning that people are travelling city-wide to access it
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