Coventry has a long and proud history of welcoming people to the city from all over the world. These people have brought new skills and expertise with them and have been proud to make Coventry their home.
In recent years, people have come to Coventry from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Africa and from a number of European countries. Coventry has the largest Syrian resettlement programme in the region, and also a large asylum seeker population. Today, Coventry has a population of over 350,000 migrants. The 2011 Census tells us that 1 in every 5 people living in Coventry (21%) were born outside the UK, and over 35% of births in 2011 were to non-UK born mothers. Whilst many migrants come to live and thrive in the city, we know we can be doing more to support our more vulnerable migrants: asylum seekers and refugees. The Migrant Needs Assessment has been undertaken to support a greater understanding of the needs of migrants in the City, with a particular focus on newly arrived migrants, and more vulnerable migrants, such as Asylum Seekers and Refugees. The needs assessment has led to the development of set of recommendations with the aim of shaping service provision and identifying gaps and areas for further partnership working.
The report highlights the key findings from, and makes recommendations based on, a multi-faceted programme of work which has included:
- In-depth analysis and mapping using official published data and intelligence and information collected by stakeholders regarding migrants in Coventry
- A stakeholder workshop, survey and a set of follow up in-depth interviews
- A series of focus groups and 1:1 interviews with key migrant groups undertaken by the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre
This report considers:
- Migration and Coventry –historical context and review of key trends and patterns of migration in Coventry
- Specific needs, good practice and gaps in provision in Coventry, making a series of recommendations for action in relation to the following priority themes:
- Health
- Education
- Housing
- Employment and Skills
This needs assessment considers all groups of migrants, with a focus on those newly arrived, as well as those who are more vulnerable, such as Asylum Seekers and Refugees.
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Funder/client: Coventry City Council
Timescale: November 2017 - June 2018
CONTACT
Project lead: Catherine Harris