The number of European and International Workers in Angus in 2007 and their housing needs. Report produced by: Lucyna Rutkowska Contents: 1. Introduction 2. European and International Workers definition 3. The number of European and International Workers in Scotland 4. The number of European and International Workers in Angus 4.1 National Insurance Number registration (NINO) 4.2 Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) 4.3 Statistics of birth of E&IW 4.4 Statistics of E&IW children in Angus schools 4.5 Statistics of Angus College ESOL students 4.6 E&IW and Working for Families Angus 4.7 Employers Survey 4.8 Angus caravan sites survey 5. European and International Workers housing needs 5.1 Housing survey (September 2007) 6. Conclusion 7. Recommendation Appendix: • I. Map of Europe • II. Housing survey form • III. Sources 1. Introduction This report outlines the findings of a research project which has attempted to establish baseline information on the size of the various International Communities in Angus, while also collecting the information on their housing needs and aspirations. The UK was one of the few European Union (EU) nations to open its labour market to the A8 countries (see below) when they joined in 2004, causing a substantial wave of immigration to the country. Trends in international migration, increasingly free movement of labour within the European Union, the demography of the existing population of the UK and the needs of the British economy mean that the UK is likely to continue to receive many new arrivals in coming years. 2. European and International Workers (E&IW) definition Migrant workers coming to live and work in Angus are predominantly from the Eastern Europe countries admitted to the European Union known as A8 states (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and newly admitted A2 states (Romania and Bulgaria). A map of Europe is attached as Appendix I. Some migrants are coming to UK for relatively short periods but others are long-term residents. A map of Europe is attached as Appendix I. Long-term migrant (United Nations definition): A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least a year (12 months), so that the country of destination effectively becomes his or her new country of usual residence. From the perspective of the country of departure the person will be a long-term emigrant and from that of the country of arrival the person will be a long-term immigrant. This 12-month migrant definition is used for the UK usually resident population estimate series. Short-term migrant (United Nations definition): A person who moves to a country other than that of his or her usual residence for a period of at least 3 months but less than a year (12 months), except in cases where the movement to that country is for purposes of recreation, holiday, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage. For purposes of international migration statistics, the country The number of European and International Workers in Angus in 2007 and their housing needs. 1 of usual residence of short-term migrants is considered to be the country of destination during the period they spend in it. UK population estimates do not currently include short-term in-migrants as usually resident in the UK, nor do they exclude short-term out-migrants from the usually resident population estimate series [Short-term Migration Feasibility Report, The Office for National Statistics (ONS)]. We can categorise European and International Workers in Angus as follows: Long term migrants Migrant who moves to Angus for a period of at least a year (12 months) Short term migrant Seasonal workers defined as those working on farms over the growing season who are from the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) (students from outside the EEA) or Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) (from new member states of EEA). The European Economic Area (EEA) came into being on January 1, 1994 having been agreed between the member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the European Community (EC), and all member states of the European Union (EU). It allows these EFTA countries to participate in the European Single Market without joining the EU. The contracting parties to the EEA Agreement are three of the four EFTA states — Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway — and the 27 EU Member States along with the European Community. Switzerland is not part of the EEA. A referendum (mandated by the Swiss constitution) was held and rejected the proposal to join. Switzerland is linked to the European Union by Swiss-EU bilateral agreements, with a different content from that of the EEA agreement. The EEA is based on the same "four freedoms" as the European Community: the free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital among the EEA countries. Thus, the EFTA countries that are part of the EEA enjoy free trade with the European Union. The number of European and International Workers in Angus in 2007 and their housing needs. 2 Legislation & Schemes Enabling European & International Workers to Work in the UK • Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) The Workers Registration Scheme was introduced in 2004 and applies to applicants from the Accession 8 (A8) Countries. These are 8 of the countries which joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, namely the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Migrant Workers from the A8 countries have to register with the Home Office in the UK under the terms of the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS). Registration cost, at the time of writing is £ 90. Once a worker from an A8 country has been working legally in the UK for 12 months without a break they have full rights of free movement and will no longer need to be registered with the WRS. Data is available on WRS registrations from the Home Office by post code showing country of origin and employment sector. • Seasonal Agricultural Worker Scheme (SAWS) This scheme covers students (aged 18 and over in full-time education) from outside the European Economic Area who can work in the UK for between 5 weeks and 6 months at a time in the agricultural sector. The scheme is run for the Home Office by operators (agencies) who recruit suitable people and place them on farms. The Home Office expects the worker to leave the UK when their ‘permission to stay’ is expires, but they may re-apply for the scheme again after three months outside the UK. • Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) Work Permits The SBS applies to nationals from Bulgaria and Romania. The programme was scheduled to be phased out by 31 December 2006, but was retained for both nations upon their accession to the European Union on 01 January 2007. In 2002, a new opportunity to work in the UK for up to twelve months was announced under the work permit Sectors Based Scheme (SBS). The UK Government identified various skills shortages in the UK economy and the sector-based work permit scheme was introduced to address these shortages. The accession of the new European Union member states in 2004, brought a larger than expected wave of immigration to the UK. The number of European and International Workers in Angus in 2007 and their housing needs. 3 In response, the government decided to phase out the program by 31 December, 2006. However, with the addition of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU on 01 January, 2007, the government decided to extend the program to nationals of these countries. The SBS only covers the Food Manufacturing Industry. • National Insurance Number (NINO) A National Insurance Number (NINO) is a unique personal number used to record a person's NI contributions and to claim social security benefits. People entering the UK to work have to apply for a National Insurance Number. They can often obtain temporary NI numbers from their employer. However they should apply for a permanent number through their local Jobcentre Plus office, Jobcentre or social security office. The number of European and International Workers in Angus in 2007 and their housing needs. 4 3. The number of European and International Workers in Scotland In May 2004 ten new countries joined the European Union (EU) entitling workers from these countries to certain employment rights in other member states. Two of those countries (Malta and Cyprus) did not have any restrictions placed on the movement of their workers in the UK (the numbers involved would be very small any way).The A8 countries are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Between May 2004 and March 2007, 45,000 migrants from the A8 countries came to work in Scotland. We do not know how many migrants have subsequently stayed in Scotland because migrants are not required to tell the authorities if they decide to leave the UK and because they are only required to register for 12 months - after which time they have full rights of free movement within the UK. The majority of these new migrants (64%) are from Poland (the fact that it is the largest of the A8 countries is likely to have contributed to this), while Lithuanians are the second largest group at 11%. In the past, immigrants have been reluctant to move beyond large cities. The Office for National Statistics population trends report for autumn 2007 tracked new immigrants from the A8 countries based on where they registered to work. 5 4. The number of European and International Workers in Angus Migration as a phenomenon is notoriously hard to describe and predict.