Migration and Health in Birmingham

Jenny Phillimore, IASS

The Population of Birmingham Lack of reliable data a particular issue for

Birmingham 1,006,500 residents projected 2006 1,105,520 residents projected for 2026 Rapid change from 77% white 1991 to 48% white

2026 Large increases projected

– Pakistani, other, Bangladeshi and African communities

Wide range of immigration statuses – asylum seekers (6k), refugees (100k?), economic migrants (?), Accession country migrants (12k), spousal migrants and undocumented migrants

Birmingham is a super-diverse city and becoming move diverse

Asylum seekers 2009, BCC tenants and waiting lists

Ethnic clusters Data is incomplete but tells us people in

Bham from 170 different countries Pakistani African-Caribbean Indian Bangladeshi Iranian Chinese Accession country migrants Somali African Afghani Other Asian Kurdish/Iraqi Middle Eastern

Integration issues Transient population and poor data = no sense of

who is living in Bham Migrants concentrated in deprived areas Extremely high u/e rates in some groups (c80%) Housing conditions poor and unstable 1 in 5 births to women born outside of UK Highest infant mortality in new migrant groups Mental health Language, cultural barriers and immigration status

prevent access to services

Issues for Birmingham

Trying to understand and address the implications of super-diversity

High levels of deprivation – persistent poverty in the key multi-cultural areas

Poor health outcomes and dealing with migrant specific issues such as FGM

Social exclusion – address high migrant u/e Community cohesion and preventing violent

extremism

Priorities for Birmingham Achieving equity in access to services Social inclusion of all groups Maintaining good community relations Addressing some gender specific issues Better health outcomes

– Healthy Lifestyles Project– Displaced people’s employment initiative