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Overview

Migration Policy Scotland’s research shows that migrants are disadvantaged in relation to each of the main pathways to poverty reduction recognised by Scottish Government and Scotland’s wider anti-poverty movement: reducing costs; increasing incomes through employment; and increasing awareness and uptake of social security entitlements. Their needs are too often overlooked or treated as niche and are not well-met by the existing landscape of support and service provision.

Key findings 

1. Migrants are a significant and growing percentage of Scotland’s population and workforce with experiences of poverty which are too often overlooked or treated as niche.

Analysis of labour market outcomes for Scotland’s minority ethnic population shows that non-UK people fair worst within that already disadvantaged population. As a substantial section of Scotland’s minority ethnic population, migrants are also impacted by poverty rates at more than double the national average, as well as high and rising child poverty.

2. The research finds clear evidence of hardship, vulnerability to poverty and barriers to increasing incomes through employment or social security in migrant households.

Migrant households face significant costs not incurred by other low-income households including visafees, and immigration health surcharge. For a family of four, these can amount to £20,670 in the first four years after arrival. They also incur high costs for housing, utilities, food, childcare and education and can struggle to access affordable credit.

3. The existing landscape of service provision is not well-suited to meet migrants’ needs.

The report found a bifurcated landscape of support and service provision for migrants. On one side are specialist migrant-focused charities and organisations mostly with precarious funding and limited reach into publicly funded or mainstream programmes. On the other are a mix of public and third sector organisations providing employability and income maximisation services, with varied experience of supporting migrants, often with limited awareness of the specific barriers they face and lacking confidence in intercultural communication.