Language key to saying 'I belong to Glasgow'

Published on Friday 28 November 2008 21:16

Learning English appears to be a major factor in how successfully, or otherwise, 'A8 migrants' adapt to their new life in Scotland, reports Michael Howie

'IT'S funny," says Magda Nieradko, 24, "when I talk to my mother on the phone and say I'm just going back home, she thinks I mean Poland."

Magda's roots are in Stalowa Wola, a town in the south-east of the country where her family still lives – but "home" is now more than 1,000 miles away in the east end of Glasgow.

Magda's experiences of migrating to Scotland, along with thousands of other people who have settled here following the enlargement of the European Union in 2004, have largely been positive. But others have found it more difficult to settle, often finding the language barrier too big to cross.

A broad spectrum of experiences enjoyed, and in some cases suffered, by so-called A8 migrants since moving to Scotland are highlighted in a report published this week by the British Council.

Magda's is one of the many contrasting stories told in Migrant Cities, which compares the lives of Poles, Slovaks and other eastern European migrants in nine cities, including Glasgow, Cardiff, Bucharest, Athens and Tirana.

She arrived in Glasgow at the start of a gap year, which she filled working in bars, hanging out with new friends and improving her English. She stayed with a Polish friend, who had recommended Scotland as a "nice place to live".

Magda returned to Poland to finish her social policy degree – but by then the building blocks of a new life in Scotland had been laid.

"The biggest factor in my decision to move back was that I had met my boyfriend, Paul. But I also really liked the country – it's small but with many cultures, which surprised me."

Magda now lives with Paul in a flat in the city's Dennistoun area. She landed work helping Polish job seekers at a recruitment agency, while also volunteering for an equality advisory group, where she is now delighted to be working full-time.

Some clients at the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council are themselves eastern European migrants who feel they have been unfairly treated by employers, landlords, or public services.

Some are struggling to access housing and other services because of language difficulties.

Language skills is an issue that, according to Magda, is "crucial" to migrants' experience of Scotland. "I have felt really welcomed in Scotland. But I think where people have had problems, it is because of misunderstandings due to the language difference.

"I think if you make a real effort to learn the language, you will get much more out living in Scotland. But people who do not try to learn the language will perhaps feel like they don't belong."

One Slovak Roma, Katarina, 34, has found life difficult, partly because neither she nor her husband speak much English.

Both have had jobs, but Katarina became pregnant and had to stop working at the recruitment agency.

"We call about housing benefits, but they only speak English. We can't give them information we need because we don't understand. And everything is always postponed. We thought Glasgow would be better than it is," she says.

The report also highlights the difficulty some services have faced given greater-than expected levels of migration.

John Donaldson, head of immigration and emergency services at Glasgow City Council, is quoted as saying: "Central government was wrong in estimating an influx of 60,000 migrants. It was really about 200,000. So there are strains for education and health, the politics is difficult, the local government wants more funding, but the central government doesn't want to admit they were wrong."

The report says Glasgow City Council has responded "quickly and positively", recognising that the massive influx of migrants has helped to stem population decline and boost the city's economic and cultural base.

But it also highlights serious housing problems, particularly caused by unscrupulous landlords. For example, overcrowding and exploitation of migrant communities has, according to the report, been "rife" in the Govanhill area of the city.

Katarina told researchers: "We don't even have hot water here. When I want to wash my baby, I have to heat up the water first and then use it."

But while the notion that schools and hospitals are bursting at the seams because of a "flood" of new migrants is widely-held, many experts say this is something of a myth whipped up by right-wing media.

The Office of National Statistics' international passenger survey estimates net A8 migration to Scotland since 2004 at around 18,000 – hardly the tidal wave thought by some to be the case.

This view also ignores the widely-held belief that Scotland is facing a skills shortage amid an otherwise declining population. From agriculture to retail, hospitality to medicine, A8 migrants have brought a wealth of skills to Scotland.

The report also highlights how migration patterns have been central to Glasgow's development for centuries.

The city grew tenfold between the 18th and 20th centuries, with Irish, Pakistanis, Jews and Poles making Scotland their home, while a reverse process has seen a Scottish diaspora stretch across the globe.

More than 25,000 Pakistanis live in the Greater Glasgow area, while thousands of Jews fled Nazi persecution and settled in Scotland, with an estimated 7,000 Jewish people currently living in the country.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said Glasgow was not alone in experiencing pressure on its services as a result of EU migration. "But where there have been issues, the council has worked with its partner agencies to address these concerns.

"Over the long term, the migration has to be welcomed as it helps to address the continued loss of population to the city's surrounding areas.

"Not only do our new residents contribute to keeping Glasgow competitive, but they also add to the city's increasing cultural vibrancy."

Commenting on the report's findings, Roy Cross, director of British Council Scotland, says: "Key policy and practitioner stakeholders from Glasgow were interviewed along with migrants who best reflected a cross-section of significant groups from across the city.

"The research revealed areas of best practice, with Glasgow recognised for initiatives such as the 'Welcome to Glasgow' information pack, produced by Glasgow City Council, aimed at migrants from the new EU members state."

The Scottish Government, meanwhile, stresses the link between economic growth and population growth.

"Scotland has specific needs and we are developing policy on migration, Fresh Talent and population growth to help achieve our ambitious target to match average European (EU-15)] population growth over the next ten years and create a wealthier and fairer Scotland," says a spokesman.

"Our policies aim to help integrate migrant workers and their families into life in Scotland and to promote a more diverse and vibrant labour market.

"There have been significant numbers of migrant workers coming to Scotland in recent years. These workers are making an important contribution to the Scottish economy, as well as helping to increase the working-age population."

It is this cultural diversity that has encouraged Magda to consider raising a family in Scotland.

"Maybe I have a cosmopolitan nature. Of course I don't feel Scottish, but I feel I really work out in this place," she says.

Range of factors influence how groups fit in

Emilia Pietka researcher who worked on the British Council report

THE effect of eastern and central European migrants in Glasgow has generally been a positive one regarding the economy and local population growth. However, there are problems in understanding migration patterns relating to various issues and difficulties.

Quantifying the numbers of migrants living and working in the city is difficult to achieve due to government logging systems being inaccurate.

Second, although Glasgow City Council has done an admirable job in welcoming new migrant communities to the city, there are still reports of some groups (mainly Roma migrants) not receiving practical information on arrival and/or having difficulties accessing information.

Public opinion and attitudes are also important. Often in the case of migration, public attitudes are reflected in and shaped by the media, which tend to suggest that certain migration patterns are fundamentally problematic.

Finally, the ability to speak fluent English is one of the most challenging barriers shaping the migrants' experience of living in the city.

A wide of range of factors influence the extent to which migrants feel part of the city.

Younger migrants were less "fixed" in their identities and more able to take advantage of new forms of belonging in different socio-economic and cultural situations. This could be down to age, but also a result of language, social class, religion and feeling of material security.

Key challenges we have to overcome

Derek Mitchell manager, Cosla's strategic migration partnership

MIGRATION into Scotland, primarily through the expansion of the EU, has evidently brought positive benefits. However, EU migration also poses a number of challenges for local and central government.

It is clear service impacts and costs associated with migration are only beginning to be understood. It should also be noted some demands that may otherwise have been placed on local authorities have not yet been felt. Many EU migrants coming to Scotland have restricted rights to public assistance and this means they do not, for instance, normally have the right to state benefits or housing and homelessness assistance.

There are still large gaps in knowledge regarding actual estimates of how many migrant workers live and work in Scotland and how migration has impacted on key services.

One of the main challenges for government is measuring and predicting inward migration. There are concerns over inaccurate statistics and data collection systems that cannot keep pace with rapidly changing demographics. A key issue for public services generally is the "churn" effect of migration upon local communities and services.

Despite such issues, migrant workers make a valuable contribution in helping us meet our demographic challenges, enriching our cultural diversity and contributing to our workforce.