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Migrations - Making the most of the benefits, managing the challenges

Date of speech	11 June 2008
Location	Haringey Civic Centre, London
Event summary	Publication of the Cross-Government plan on managing the impacts of migration

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Draft text of the speech - may differ from the delivered version.

With residents from over 120 countries of origin, Haringey is one of the most diverse places in Europe, let alone England.

Some theorists argue that diversity inevitably erodes trust, that it means people don't get along.

Well Haringey shows them otherwise.

Four in five residents round here think people from different backgrounds get on well together. And they want to keep it that way.

Earlier this year the Council launched its cohesion forum - a place where young and old, all races and faiths - can come together and build bridges.

Exactly the kind of practical leadership that can help people feel confident and comfortable in their neighbourhood.

So this is an appropriate place to talk about migration. An issue that people care about deeply - that has a profound impact on our economy - and on which everyone calls for a 'mature debate'.

But simply saying 'we need a mature debate' isn't enough if we go ahead and have the same old polarised to and fro.

We have to talk about migration in a balanced way, acknowledging the benefits and the challenges: and in a straightforward way, that makes sense to people.

So I appreciate the chance to set the record straight.

The fact is that migration is nothing new.

For centuries people have come to make Britain their home.

Some have come here fleeing persecution and found shelter here. That is a humanitarian tradition that we are proud to continue.

But today I want to concentrate on those who come here to work - boosting our economy, enriching the culture, supporting public services.

They have been an indelible part of our success as a nation.

They continue to play a vital role today.

However, in recent years, patterns of migration have changed.

Travel has become easier.

More people are choosing to stay for a short while and return home, rather than make Britain their permanent home.

And the expansion of the EU has brought new arrivals from Eastern Europe.

The scale and pace of change have meant that people and the media are scrutinising and questioning migration even more.

That scrutiny is legitimate, but it's important to set out the facts.

The majority of migrants who come to Britain from Eastern Europe are young and fit.

They do not bring dependents.

They come to work.

Sectors from agriculture to engineering to social care would struggle without their hard work and skills.

And just as openness has always been crucial to our success in the global economy, it will continue to be so in the future.

Closing the borders outright simply isn't a sensible option, and I don't have much time for people who argue for it.

But nor am I convinced by the arguments for a free-for-all, laissez-faire, open- the-borders approach.

Migration will only work when it's properly managed.

"This document represents a step forward. It's a sign of how we're joining up across Departments and thinking strategically about how we help everyone make the most of migration: maximising the benefits, minimising the negative impacts."

That's why we have introduced a points-based system to ensure we get the people with the skills the economy needs.

It's why we have a new Border Agency with the broad powers it needs to remove the new arrivals who don't play by the rules.

And it's why we're serious about managing the local challenges that migration can cause.

Any population change has repercussions for local services - from schools, to hospitals, to housing.

Misunderstandings can arise between new arrivals to a town and people who have lived there all their life.

If left unchecked, misunderstanding can sometimes give rise to tensions.

I'm not for a minute suggesting that all the local effects of migration are negative.

There's the entrepreneur creating jobs and attracting investment to the town. 

There's the worker helping a local business thrive. One set of research suggested that three quarters of employers in Cornwall felt their business would suffer if they couldn't employ migrant staff.

But we don't do anyone a service by refusing to acknowledge the challenges too.

Local authorities and their partners - in schools, health services, housing associations - are in the front line of meeting these challenges.

They have said to me themselves, that because the picture can vary from town to town, even street to street, only they have the knowledge and insight to respond effectively.

But we in central government stand ready to support them. 

And today I'm pleased to publish a document explaining how.

For me, this document represents a step forward.

It's a sign of we're joining up across Departments and thinking strategically about how we help everyone make the most of migration: maximising the benefits, minimising the negative impacts.

We want to do three key things.

First, to put together a better picture of migration patterns and help people understand who's coming, where from, and for how long.

Second, to provide targeted support to keep services running smoothly in the places facing the biggest changes.

And third, to help local people get on together and feel confident about change.

First, there's better information about migration.

When you're planning how many houses to build, or how many teachers to hire, it's important to understand who lives in your town. How many of them are there? How old are they? Should you be investing in care homes or maternity wards?

This year we agreed a 3-year funding settlement for local government, based on the best available population projections from the Office for National Statistics.

It's the first time ever that we have provided funding on such a long-term footing.

It's what local government asked for - to give them stability and certainty to plan properly for what local people need.

It's inevitable that populations will fluctuate over a 3-year period. And new population projections will become available, too.

But we have no plans to reopen the funding settlement. There's little point in long-term budgets if you're going to unpick them mere months in.

However we do recognise that as the way we live and travel changes, we our methods of counting the population need to keep pace too.

The Office for National Statistics is currently carrying out a major review of how local population statistics are collated.

It is considering how we can make better use of the information we already have - such as surveys of people coming in and out of the country. But it will also look at how we can tap other sources of information that are out there - for example, the data held by employment agencies who recruit people from abroad.

With a clearer picture we can not only get a sound basis for funding allocations in the future, but help local authorities understand how population change affects them.

Our second aim is to support the local service providers who are reacting to significant changes in circumstances.

The school with new pupils who have English as a second language, or the hospital seeing new patients.

Some of this support will be in the form of fresh resources, targeted where they are needed most.

For example, in education, a grant worth £179m is open to schools with a large number of pupils who do not have English as their first language.

And from September, local authorities who have an unexpected number of new pupils will have access to a £10m grant.

But some of the challenges caused by population change affect not just one public service provider, but many.

Take, for example, the English language.

Communication troubles can cause extra costs and delays in any service.

For example, we hear anecdotal evidence that migrants sometimes end up going to A+E with problems that could have best been dealt with by a GP - but they haven't registered, because they don't understand the system.

And if the police are helping victims of crime who are migrants, they may need to use interpreters.

Does it really make sense for the hospital and the police to go off and find two separate solutions?

Surely it would be cheaper and more effective to find a shared approach.

That is why I think the new Migration Trust Fund has such potential.

From April of next year, we will levy a small charge on people applying to enter the UK.

The Government is considering responses to consultation on how the Fund should work in practice, and we will be keen to continue working with partners as we develop in detail.

But personally I believe it can make the biggest difference not by being allocated in bits and bobs to a hospital here, or a police station there, but by supporting local service providers to come together and develop shared solutions to shared problems - say, a joint programme on interpreters or language lessons, or a website where local authorities and their partners can share information on local population change.

Finally, our third aim is to help local people face confidence with change.

"On average, 81 per cent of us think people from different backgrounds get on well in our neighbourhood - so there is a huge amount of goodwill to build on."

Often it is small misunderstandings that can create a bad atmosphere - not putting the bins out on time, not queuing in the local shop.

And it is very simple steps that remedy them.

Based on the research carried out by the Commission for Integration and Cohesion, we are providing £50m to boost cohesion, including £34m direct to local authorities facing the biggest challenges.

Some local projects are helping new migrants understand national customs and get involved in local life. Many places, such as Cornwall, have developed local information packs telling new migrants about their rights and responsibilities.

Other projects help break down the myths that can sometimes cause anxiety or tension. Places such as Birmingham and Stoke have pioneered 'citizens days' -  an opportunity for everyone to come together and get to know people from a different background. Other places are following suit: Manchester will soon launch its own 'Manchester Day'.

In our response to the Commission, we also pledged to send in teams to provide intensive support to places facing the most unsettling changes.

Today I'm pleased to say that we are soon to launch the first pilot, to Breckland in Norfolk.

Between 2005 and 2006 Breckland saw its population grown by more than 1300 almost entirely because of migration from Poland, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia and other countries. Thanks to this, the local economy has grown too.

But the change in population caused some friction - bad feeling between settled residents and new arrivals, even scuffles and vandalism.

Locals have already recognised that this is a challenge and have started to address it.

The council is working with employers to boost English language skills. Developing a closer relationship with the charities who help new arrivals settle in.  And getting tough on rogue landlords who let low-quality, overcrowded bedsits with little care for their tenants - or neighbours.

We will be sending in a pair of specialists with a background in grassroots activism to do two things. First, to learn from the good work being done so as to be able to share it more widely. Second, to help Breckland take this work to the next stage. Building new relationships, doing what needs to be done to bring people together. And helping make a better atmosphere.

"As we look to the future, some places are already asking, not 'what will we do if new migrants arrive?', but 'what will happen if they leave?'"

I am confident that they will succeed. Because nationally, on average, 81 per cent of us think people from different backgrounds get on well in our neighbourhood - so there is a huge amount of goodwill to build on.

No-one would claim we have every answer to all the local challenges caused by migration.

But with this plan we are going in the right direction - and my Department will be producing an update, detailing the further practical work we will commit to, early next year.

I also believe that as a country and a society we are getting a more balanced appreciation of what migration means.

How we can make the most of its opportunities.

How we can deal with its challenges.

In fact, as we look to the future, some places are already asking, not 'what will we do if new migrants arrive?', but 'what will happen if they leave?'

One thing is clear, as the picture continues to change, Government won't sit idly by.

We will keep on listening, learning, and working to make sure that everyone benefits.

I've been encouraged by debate with a number of local authorities as we have prepared this plan - from urban to the rural, from Southwark to Suffolk, and all political hues - and I am keen to continue that dialogue.

That's exactly the mature approach the country needs.