CUI Toronto, October 21st 1999: Paul Convery

"Do metropolitan governments need a strategy to attract and settle immigrants?"

London Community & Economic Developers conference with the Canadian Urban Institute, Toronto, October 21st 1999

Paul Convery

Director

Unemployment Unit & Youthaid, London

London’s multi-ethnic community

Main points

London is a city of immigrants. But the rest of Britain is not a country of immigrants - so we won't admit it.
Britain has never had a policy to encourage immigration. Instead, London (and a few other main cities) have achieved multi ethnic diversity by accident not be design.
Significant Caribbean and South Asian immigration started after 1948 as a by-product of British withdrawal from Empire which coincided with brief periods of labour shortage.
Successive rounds of legislation have sought to restrict immigration rather than apply rational criteria.
Current immigration permitted because of:

family consolidation
unauthorised arrival
or refugee application

A population transfusion

In 1951: Caribbean and Asian population in UK was 80,000

In 1971: total was almost 1½ million

In 1991: whole ethnic minority population almost 3 million (about 6% of UK population)

Nearly half live in London

So, around a quarter of London's 7 million population is from a non-white minority ethnic group

Latest estimated population of refugees and asylum seekers in the capital is ¼ million.

Just over a third of inner London school age children have English as a second language.

Becoming more populous

Black and minority ethnic population in London is projected to grow by 40% from 1.4 million in 1991 to just under 2 million in 2011 (28% of the population).

Including "white" ethnic minorities (Turkish, Greek, Cypriot, Irish…) the proportion will rise to almost 1 in 3 of the London population.

Highest growth rates amongst the Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations

White population is expected to decline by 8% (to 5,064,000)

An ageing population: working age minority ethnic population will increase by 30%

Geographical concentration may intensify by 2011

Proportion of total population from Black and ethnic minorities
Newham	61%
Brent	52%
Tower Hamlets	46%
Harrow	42%
Ealing	41%
Sutton	10%
Bexley	9%
Richmond	8%
Havering	6%

Population of working age: Greater London
All	5,510,000	100%
White	4,300,000	78%
Non-White	1,210,000	22%

Non-white population of working age: Greater London
All non-White	1,210,000	100%
African & Caribbean	498,965	41%
Indian	283,400	23%
Pakistani	80,600	7%
Bangladeshi	84,100	7%
Chinese	37,600	3%
Other Asian	95,300	8%
Other	124,200	10%

Discrimination and diversity

Unemployment rates: Greater London
	1992	1999
All	13%	8%
White	11%	6%
African & Caribbean	28%	16%
Indian	14%	8%
Pakistani	28%	14%
Bangladeshi	40%	32%
Chinese	7%	11%

Better and worse qualified

Proportions with higher level qualifications
Black African men	27%
Pakistani/Bangladeshi women	8%
All minority ethnic groups	20%
All White	21%

Less engaged in the labour market

Employment rates: Greater London
	1992	1999
All	66%	70%
White	69%	74%
African & Caribbean	52%	60%
Indian	63%	68%
Pakistani	41%	52%
Bangladeshi	29%	27%
Chinese	62%	56%

Poorer than the average

Households in receipt of means tested social assistance: Greater London
Pakistani/Bangladeshi	52%
African & Caribbean	38%
White	17%

The self employment, small business route

entrepreneurs from minority ethnic backgrounds account for 19% of London's small businesses

one in ten businesses and a quarter of all family owned businesses are black and minority ethnic-owned (high numbers of unpaid family workers)

self-employment rate is higher amongst members of black and minority ethnic groups (16% of those in employment compared with 12 % amongst the white population)

What needs to be done?

Political argument promoting the value of multi-ethnicity:

economic value of rich cultural mix
world languages are an asset to a world city
global connections underpin a trading city

Legislation review: Race Relations Act and GLA Bill
Training, re-training and recognition
Job entry: employer best practice, specialist brokerages
Review public procurement conditions
Community organisations' capacity