Accession 8 migration and the proactive and defensive engagement of social citizenship
Aims
The paper aims to shed some light on the impact of A8 migration on employment opportunities and housing provision in the inner-city communities that are host to many new migrant groups.
Methodology
The qualitative data presented in this paper was generated in a study concerned with the needs, perceptions and experiences of A8 migrants and established communities in a northern English city. The study used purposive sampling to recruit 89 respondents. A8 migrants and established community members were recruited through contacts with local community centres. In total, 11 focus groups [6-9 respondents each], and 10 semi-structured interviews with key informants [for example recruitment agencies, employers, community support workers] were conducted. Three focus groups with A8 migrants [Polish men, Polish women and Slovak mixed gender]; one focus group with Roma migrants; 4 parallel focus groups with members of established West Indian, Pakistani and ‘white’ host communities in neighbourhoods that had experienced significant numbers of recent A8 migrants; and 3 focus groups with agencies involved in the provision and/or administration of local public services, [for example City Council, primary care trusts, housing providers and schools] were conducted.