Geography Unit 1, Going Global Compulsory Case Study 1 - Eastern European migration

'There's even an aisle for Polish food at Asda' ran a Daily Telegraph headline in 2007. The aisle in question is in Hereford, population 50 000. How does a town of this size support a polish food aisle? In 2004, 8 lower-income eastern European countries joined the EU, known as the A8 (Accession 8). They were Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The UK, Sweden and Ireland allowed free migration to the new EU members, whereas other countries imposed restrictions, but the expected rush of migrants wasn't nearly as high as had been expected, and there have been both benefits and costs to both the UK and Poland, which has been the largest influx. People can earn 7 times as much in the UK than they can in Poland. The influx of Eastern European migrant farm workers has made Herefordshire a rural migration 'hotspot', though. An estimated 120 000 eastern European migrants registered in UK rural areas between 2004 and 2006, 8 100 of them in Hertfordshire.Nationality of Herefordshire's migrants ~SAWs: 25% ~Poland: 25% ~Latvia: 15% ~Lithuania: 14% ~Slovakia: 10% ~Czech: 1% ~Other (Estonia, Romania, etc.): 1% Some migrants are seasonal agricultural workers (SAWs) whose numbers peak in early summer when the fruit harvest is at its height. Those from the eastern EU states have longer-term plans and may settle in the area. Problems associated with migrants include:~UK: Discrimination and distrust from local people. Many Polish people prefer to shop in the local shops owned by other Polish migrants. ~UK: Variable migrant skill levels, with demands for training, especially in English. ~UK: High rents, as housing is in short supply. ~UK: Poor access to education and health, often as a result of the language barrier. ~UK: Pressure on accident and emergency services, as few migrants register with a GP. ~Poland: Poland itself has lost a lot of skilled workers. In 2007, 35% of jobs in the construction industry could not be filled. This has led to Polish legislation being drafted that offers more lucrative salaries. About 100 scientists and researchers have received one-off payments of £5 000, equal to 10 months pay, in order to make them stay. ~Poland: Poland's population and birth rate have fallen because so many young people have migrated. It fell 0.3% between 2003 and 2007. ~The increased air traffic between the UK and Poland has led to increased greenhouse gas emissions. In 2003, there were just 500 000 passengers to and from the UK, and 3.3 million in 2006. There are also benefits to both countries too:~UK: There's an increased exposure to other cultures, which makes the UK a more diverse and interesting place to live in. ~UK: Migration has fuelled economic growth in Britain, and haven't undercut British workers in the labour market because many of them do work in places that British people aren't prepared to work in, such as care homes for the elderly and farm workers. They are Pickers, Pluckers and Packers. The non-migrant unemployment rate has actually remained steady. ~UK: The young Polish migrant workers have decreased the dependency ratio in Britain, easing the pension burden on the British tax payer. Many Polish people will choose to spend their old age in their own country, too, so that the taxpayer isn't haven't to support them through either their education or through their old age. They also increase the birth rate by having children who may choose to stay and work in Britain. ~UK: Many Polish people are Catholic, which is causing there to be an increase in members of the Catholic Church in Britain. ~UK: The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has calculated that the average Polish immigrant worker earns £20 000 a year, of which £6 000 - £7 000 is disposable income. As the exact number of immigrants is unknown, the CEBR estimates speeding power for this immigrant group to be somewhere between £3.5 and £4 billion. This is the equivalent of adding the consumer demand of Liverpool to the economy in just 2 years, which is a major boost.~Poland: Poland is now developing quickly, and investments from companies like Siemens, Phillips and Volvo will create over 100 000 jobs in Poland.~Poland: Poland's economy is also benefitting from the remittances sent home by Polish workers, which was around 6.4 billion euros in 2007. There are also significant numbers of east European migrants in Scotland. Scotland's population was set to decline to under 5 million by 2014, but immigration has revised this date to 2026. The majority of migrants are Poles, and they are young (80% under 35), which is significant in a country that is aging rapidly. Employers value the Polish work ethic and some businesses depend on migrants. Salmon processing in the Highlands, for example, has a 30% migrant workforce.There has been a Polish community in London for decades, centred in Hammersmith. Since 2004 this has swelled with up to 1 500 migrants arriving in the UK every day. Many arrive in the capital first, and find work as builders, plumbers, hotel receptionists, maids, cleaners and waiters, even though they have university degrees. Wages are low, but better than in Poland. However, finding a job and somewhere to stay is not easy in the capital. It is worth noting that between 2004 and 2007 the UK's unemployment rate varied between 4.5-5.5% - one of the lowest in the world, despite the arrival of over 500 000+ workers from eastern Europe.

Eastern European migration