9 Conclusions
This study has been completed with the participation of a range of partners. The research steering group members and those from the wider New Member States Migrant Forum have been able to bring very valuable perspectives, knowledge and experience to this research, which has added great value to the process. The existing literature and sources of data have provided an incomplete picture of EU8 migration to the City of Edinburgh. Therefore, this research has filled in some of the gaps and given a greater understanding of how to manage the integration of this new community into Edinburgh and plan for the future. The research process undertaken may be of interest to other local authorities wishing to investigate the impact on key services of EU8 migration in their own areas.
The community profiling exercise has proved to be challenging. This is due in part to the limitations of data available; and in part to difficulties in accessing a representative sample of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh. However, the use of a small group of volunteers did offer the opportunity to draw out information about the population and come to some useful conclusions. Language issues proved difficult from time to time; but through use of native-speaking staff and volunteers, many of these issues have been overcome and have ensured high-quality material. The information given from agencies has been useful; but the level of response was disappointing, necessitating a follow-up with additional interviews in key gap areas.
A definitive figure of the numbers of EU8 migrants in Edinburgh has not been possible to obtain. However, as a result of the study there is now a much better indication of the scale of migration and the profile of the new EU8 community. In particular, information about age, educational attainment and access to services has been valuable. At this time, EU8 migrants are not heavy users of services. However, this may change in the future if people stay, settle and have families. It is important to emphasis that the vast majority of this new community are working and contributing to the economy through taxes and National Insurance. In addition, they are often working in industries which bring in revenue to the city - in particular, hospitality and tourism.
A high profile - but very small - group of vulnerable EU8 nationals has also emerged in Edinburgh. This study has created a much better understanding of the size of this group and of their motivations for coming to the city. The group is high risk, accessing emergency homelessness services and with little likelihood of moving into work. This is due to a range of problems characteristic of homelessness in general, i.e. low skills, drug problems or issues of ill health. These problems are compounded by the lack of English language skills in this group. Those accessing emergency homelessness services over a longer period ( i.e. the fourth group identified at the Cowgate Centre) are "stuck" in a limbo, with no recourse to assistance and no likelihood of going into employment and therefore qualifying for increased assistance. At this time, there is no solution offered to this situation, other than for those in this limbo to be sent back to their country of origin.
Agencies have offered some very useful material which will inform training and capacity building in future. However, the response was disappointing, particularly taking into account the level of interest in this situation. There is evidence of a significant impact on services by the new EU8 population. Whilst there are issues of building capacity, clarifying entitlements and training staff, it seems that services are managing to integrate this new community into existing services. However, it is possible that the survey and subsequent interviews have not touched all services which have felt an impact. Nevertheless, there is now better understanding about the EU8 population in Edinburgh and this may mitigate any perceived problems in the future. Increased access to translation services is likely to have a significant impact on the capacity of services to work with this new group.
A number of recommendations have been made as a result of this study. Many of these have already been realised, or are at an initial planning stage - a testament to the way in which the City of Edinburgh Council has met the challenges presented by this new population in the city. It is also heartening that the experience of EU8 nationals in the city is overwhelmingly positive; and there is every reason to expect this experience will carry into the future as integration continues.