Jenny Phillimore

Problem or Opportunity? Asylum Seekers, Refugees, Employment and Social Exclusion in Deprived Urban Areas

The UK has become a leading proponent of European restrictionalism and has focused its efforts on developing policy that excludes asylum seekers from mainstream society. Dispersal policy has focused upon sending asylum seekers to excluded urban areas where there is an excess of available housing. This paper discusses the potential impacts of this approach on the economic prosperity and social cohesion of UK dispersal areas and focuses specifically on new migrants who arrived under the NASS dispersal programme. It demonstrates that, whilst newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs) have both skills and qualifications, they are currently experiencing high levels of unemployment and those who are employed are working in low-skilled jobs with earnings far below the average. The paper contends that the high levels of unemployment and underemployment currently experienced by ASRs may serve to exclude them from society in dispersal areas and in so doing exacerbate the general levels of social exclusion in those areas. It is argued that ASRs could offer new opportunities for deprived areas if initiatives were introduced to help them access work commensurate with their skills and qualifications.

Approaches to health provision in the age of super-diversity: Accessing the NHS in Britain’s most diverse city

Commentators have argued that we have entered a new era of migration described by Vertovec as a ‘transformative diversification of diversity’. Multiple variables of difference in the ethnicity, immigration status, rights and entitlements, age and gender profiles and patterns of distribution, of new migrants mean that the UK, and many other EU countries, are now home to the most diverse population ever experienced. The onset of super-diversity challenges traditional multicultural models of welfare provision originally based upon an understanding of migrants as large and geographically contained clusters of predominantly postcolonial migrants. These changes are occurring at a time when migration has become highly politicized, multiculturalism is being questioned, a shift is under way towards assimilation and welfare provision has become re-racialized. This paper argues that models of welfare provision need to be rethought to take into account the new reality of super-diversity in a way that is affordable, politically acceptable and meets the needs of all. Using data from research undertaken from studies of health service provision in the West Midlands the paper explores the challenges of meeting the needs of new migrants under existing provision, the costs of failing to adapt to super-diversity and the reasons why provision has failed to adapt. The paper concludes by arguing the need for different approaches to provision, and suggesting some new ways forward.

Delivering maternity services in an era of superdiversity: the challenges of novelty and newness

The population complexity associated with superdiversity brings a wide range of challenges for social welfare providers. Commentators have outlined concerns about the ability of service providers to meet the welfare needs of ever diversifying populations and point to potential problems in identifying the nature of need in rapidly changing superdiverse neighbourhoods as conventional approaches to consultation based around ethnicity become practically impossible. Using data collected in the West Midlands, which explored maternity service needs from the perspectives of new migrants and maternity professionals, some key barriers to effective welfare delivery in superdiverse areas are explored. The paper outlines the emergence of two challenges important in shaping new migrant access to maternity care in an era of superdiversity – novelty and newness – and proposes further research to examine the extent to which these challenges are faced in other social welfare services.

Refugees, social capital, and labour market integration in the UK

This study examines the relationship between social capital and labour market integration of new refugees in the UK using the Survey of New Refugees (SNR). Our findings suggest that length of residency and language competency broaden one’s social networks. Contacts with religious and co-national groups bring help with employment and housing. The mere possession of networks is not enough to enhance access to employment. However, the absence of social networks does appear to have a detrimental effect on access to work. The type of social capital appears to have no significant impact on the permanency or quality of employment. Rather, language competency, pre-migration qualifications and occupations, and time in the UK are most important in accessing work. Our findings also have clear implications for both asylum and integration policy. The unequivocal importance of language ability for accessing employment points to a clear policy priority in improving competency.

Introduction: rethinking integration. New perspectives on adaptation and settlement in the era of super-diversity

ABSTRACT This article outlines key arguments and contributions pertaining to new perspectives on the adaptation and settlement of migrants under conditions of superdiversification and ongoing migration ‘crisis’. We seek to re-ignite interest in the development of the concept of integration and to stimulate theoretical and research advancement beyond the normative integration paradigm. Given the growing complexity, acceleration of changes and increased interconnectedness across societies as well as diversification of migrants we argue that the concept of integration need to be reconsidered. Highlighting different ways of thinking about migrant adaptation and settlement we account not only for the multi-dimensionality of integration processes, but also for the diverse nature of migrants and how their multiple characteristics shape integration opportunities and challenges. Using perspectives from multiple countries in relation to voluntary and forced migrants within and outside of the EU, this paper offers theoretical and methodological insights into how the complexity associated with super-diversity might be captured and outlines new ways of conceptualising integration. It also sets up new research agenda around the integration of transnational or transit populations, integration within fluid and super-diverse communities or the relationship between integration and intersectionality with the focus on multi-dimentionality, relativeness and modalities of social relations.

Monitoring for equality? Asylum seekers and refugees’ retention and achievement in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Interest in the integration of refugees has grown with the increase in numbers of asylum seekers dispersed across the UK. The ability to communicate effectively in English is seen as the key priority in facilitating integration, while a lack of English language is seen as one of the major barriers to refugee employment. Some £267 million was spent on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes in 2004/05. However, commentators have observed that asylum seekers and refugees continue to struggle to speak English. This paper examines data from interviews with refugees and ESOL tutors, and statutory data recording retention and achievement of asylum seekers and refugees, to explore the extent to which they are achieving in ESOL, and the effectiveness of the existing monitoring system in assessing whether ESOL meets the needs of asylum seekers and refugee learners. It finds that there are major inconsistencies between the retention and success rates observed in the monitoring data and those reported by tutors and refugees. A range of problems are identified that indicate that monitoring is neither robust nor reliable and that refugees and asylum seekers are struggling to learn sufficient English to enable integration.

Migrant place-making in super-diverse neighbourhoods: Moving beyond ethno-national approaches:

Whilst attention has previously focused on the importance of monolithic ethnic identities on migrant place-making, less attention has been paid to how place-making proceeds in super-diverse urban neighbourhoods where no single ethnic group predominates. This paper makes an original contribution by identifying the factors that shape migrants’ affinity with, or alienation from, super-diverse neighbourhoods. Through using and critiquing an analytical framework developed by Gill (2010 Pathologies of migrant place making: The case of Polish migrants to the UK. Environment and Planning A 42(5): 1157–1173) that identifies ‘ideal’ and ‘pathological’ place-making strategies, the paper contrasts two super-diverse neighbourhoods in the UK with different histories of diversity. We show how ‘ideal’ migrant place-making is more likely to occur where there is a common neighbourhood identity based around diversity, difference and/or newness, and where those with ‘visible’ differences can blend in. In contrast, ‘pathologies’ are more likely where the ongoing churn of newcomers, coupled with the speed and recency of change, undermine migrants’ affinity with place and where the diversity of the neighbourhood is not yet embedded. Even where neighbourhood identity based on diversity is established, it may alienate less visible migrants and culminate in a new form of (minority) white flight.

Embedded Integration and Organisational Change in Housing Providers in the UK

The arrival of large numbers of asylum seekers in the UK, many of whom subsequently become refugees, has been an important contributor to the emergence of new migration. Integration policy and initiatives have placed a great deal of focus on securing housing for refugees and enhancing their employability. While academics stress that integration should be a two-way process, and highlight the need for institutions to adapt to meet migrant need, the vast majority of policy attention has focused on supporting refugees to adapt to life in the UK. Few initiatives and even less research attention has been paid to encouraging or exploring institutional adaptation. This article looks at the experiences of UK housing providers involved in the HACT Reach In initiative. The project was unusual in that it sought to encourage housing providers to adapt their approaches to service provision by embedding refugees into their everyday work. Using data collected via qualitative longitudinal methods, the article examines the ways in which institutions changed their cultures and approaches to service delivery. It finds that initiatives that enable hosts and migrants to access new social fields create the opportunity for embedded integration that moves beyond the individual to impact upon institutions, and argues that shifting our attention to institutions has much to offer in conceptual, empirical and policy terms.

Recent migrants’ perspectives on antibiotic use and prescribing in primary care: a qualitative study

Background Currently there is great interest in antibiotic prescribing practices in the UK, but little is known about the experiences of the increasing numbers of recent migrants (those present in the UK for >1 year but <5 years) registered at GP practices. Qualitative research has suggested that reasons for not prescribing antibiotics may not be clearly communicated to migrants. Aim This study aimed to explore the factors that shape migrants’ experiences of and attitudes to antibiotics, and to suggest ways to improve effective communication around their use. Design and setting A qualitative study on recent migrants’ health beliefs, values, and experiences in a community setting in primary care. Method Twenty-three recent migrants were interviewed in their preferred language by trained community researchers. The research team conducted a thematic analysis, focusing on health beliefs, engaging with health services, transnational medicine, and concepts of fairness. Experiences around antibiotics were a strong emerging theme. Results Three reasons were identified for antibiotics seeking: first, holding an ‘infectious model’ of illness implying that antibiotics are required quickly to avoid illness becoming worse or spreading to others; second, reasoning that other medications will be less effective for people ‘used to’ antibiotics’; and third, perceiving antibiotic prescription as a sign of being taken seriously. Some participants obtained antibiotics from their country of origin or migrant networks in the UK; others changed their mind and accepted alternatives. Conclusion Primary care professionals should aim to understand migrants’ perspectives to improve communication with patients. Further research is needed to identify different strategies needed to respond to the varying understandings of antibiotics held by migrants.

Community research within a social constructionist epistemology: implications for “Scientific Rigor”

Evaluation research continues to be dominated by the positivist paradigm and a commitment to factual and value free research. Policy makers and associated evaluators, in particular, consistently approach program evaluation from a positivist perspective in which methodological rigor is assessed through their interpretation of valid and generalizable results. More recently, mixed-method approaches have been adopted with qualitative methods used in combination with quantitative. However, the exclusive use of qualitative methods is less regular. With a focus on social justice shifting from the margins to the center of evaluation research, there is a call for qualitative study and participatory evaluation where planning and evaluation are not predetermined and instead embrace the voices of stakeholders and participants. This has coincided with the emergence of various methods and branches of evaluation research including empowerment research evaluation, collaborative research, and community participatory research. This paper advocates a constructionist approach in community engaged research as an appropriate and necessary approach within increasingly culturally diverse societies in Australia and the United Kingdom.