Middle-class people fail to understand the impact of immigration on poorer workers because they are “insulated” from competition for jobs, housing and public services, the Communities Secretary said last night.
John Denham said that those at the top of society benefited most from migration, enabling them to find plumbers and cleaners to work in their homes. He said that for others, immigration fuelled fears about job prospects and their chances of finding decent housing. He said that these fears were heightened in areas of the country that were already facing difficulties arising from economic decline, deprivation and unemployment.
In a speech to Policy Network, a left-of-centre think-tank, Mr Denham said that while the affluent felt “culturally enriched” by the benefits of migration, working-class people found it harder to accept the advantages.
“Those of us who feel culturally enriched by the benefits of migration and who are insulated from the competition for jobs, housing and public services that is potentially posed by migrants, often find these views [the perception that migrants jump the queue] difficult to appreciate,” Mr Denham said. His comments follow the publication last week of official figures showing continuing high levels of immigration into Britain. “The affluent often are able to see opportunities within change and uncertainty; whereas those who are less insulated from potential drawbacks may see the same change as a risk or a threat”.
Mr Denham said that class still mattered in Britain and this was particularly clear when people looked at who benefited from immigration. “Crudely expressed, the higher you are in the pecking order, the more likely you may be to benefit from immigration,” he said. People who worked in a high-tech, highly skilled multinational organisation were likely to work with the most talented migrants. He added: “If immigration makes it easier for you to find a plumber or cheaper for you to hire a cleaner then you clearly and directly benefit. But for many others you may see them as a direct threat to your own interests.”
Advertisement
Mr Denham said that in some communities migration intensified competition for scarce resources, including housing and jobs. This was taking place against a backdrop of wider change including the decline in unskilled jobs and the development of businesses that people lacked the skills to access.
Mr Denham said the Government must make sure that sufficient resources were available to help poorer communities. He also called for strong local leadership to respond to people’s fears and help them find training for jobs. It is the second speech this week in which Mr Denham has addressed immigration and its effects on poorer communities. On Monday he said white, working-class communities had a justifiable sense of grievance and deserved additional help similar to that provided to minority ethnic communities.