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