Economy at risk if migrants go home

THE economies of Cambridge and the Fens will be hit hard if the flow of migrant workers slows during

THE economies of Cambridge and the Fens will be hit hard if the flow of migrant workers slows during the recession, according to new research.

A study for the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) released today finds that the East's high-tech and agricultural industries will still need migrants in the downturn.

The East has seen a 124 per cent increase in its foreign-born population since 1997, the study notes.

The research, carried out by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), suggests there is "a medium risk that the city of Cambridge will continue to struggle to recruit sufficient numbers of highly skilled migrants to guarantee its place as Europe's leading high-tech centre".

And it states that intensive agriculture "is key to the prosperity of the Fens and is heavily reliant on migrant workers".

A separate study for EEDA and carried out by Anglia Ruskin University is also released today. It finds that the worsening economic situation is not prompting migrants living in the East to shorten their stay.

Deborah Cadman, chief executive of the business-led EEDA, said: "Our first priority is putting significant investment into raising the skills of the local workforce, particularly helping those who are unemployed to gain new skills and get back into employment. However, in these difficult economic times it's vital that businesses can get the workers they need.

We need migrant workers to plug employment gaps in the East of England. Where the right workers are not available locally, employers must be able to draw on a wider pool of international workers.

"With these reports EEDA is providing the evidence to help private and public sector partners to make decisions so we can get the region through the tough economic times and prepare for the eventual upturn."

The ippr study is based on data such as the Labour Force Survey and school language censuses, as well as interviews with employers and migrants.

Dr Jill Rutter, senior research fellow at ippr, said:

"Our research in the East of England has shown that many businesses, from agriculture to high-tech, depend on workers from other countries to survive and grow. Often this is because there are not enough local workers with the right skills and experience.

"In other cases migrants provide vital, flexible labour where British people can't do the job for practical reasons or simply don't want to do it. So if the availability of migrant labour decreases, the economy could be at significant risk."

A Cambridge employer is quoted in the report as saying that China and India "are the next wave we are really interested in", while a high-tech worker in the city says: "I like it that it's a multicultural city. My daughter goes to a school where being a foreigner is not a problem but something to encourage."

The report notes that the region's agriculture sector is "crucial to the UK's food security" and notes that health and social care could also be affected if the flow of migrant workers slows.

The Government should take account of regional migration trends and tailor its entry requirements for migrants to anticipate economic trends, the authors argue.

In the Anglia Ruskin study, interviews with EU migrants in the East suggested that economic considerations are part of a "complex bundle of factors" that affect migrants' decisions on whether to stay or return home. The other factors include access to language classes, recognition of their skills by employers and access to suitable housing.

Dr Claudia Schneider, of Anglia Ruskin University, said: "If we are to encourage them to stay and contribute to the East of England economy, we must tackle discrimination and hostility towards foreign workers, provide faster recognition of migrants' skills and better provision of English language training to enable migrants to use their skills fully."
 

source of www.cambridge-news.co.uk