Getting There? The Effects of Functional Factors, Time and Place on the Social Integration of Migrants

Abstract

A survey of 1400 migrants, including many asylum seekers and refugees, living in deprived areas in Glasgow, UK is used to test hypotheses in the literature about the effects of functional factors (educational qualifications, ability to speak English, employment), time and place upon the social integration of migrants. Three aspects are considered: trust, reliance and safety; social relations; sense of community. Overall, social integration indicators were worse for migrants than for British citizens living in the same places. Functional factors were positively associated with different aspects of social integration: higher education with more neighbourly behaviours; employment with better social relations and belonging; and English language with greater reliance on others and available social support. Time was positively associated with most social integration indicators; time in the local area more so than time in the UK. Living in a regeneration area was negatively associated with many aspects of social integration. The findings raise questions about the doubly negative effects of the use of dispersal policy for asylum seekers to regeneration areas, necessitating secondary relocation of migrants through further, forced onward migration.