Perceptions of irregular immigrants’ participation in undeclared work in the United Kingdom from a social trust perspective

Abstract

Purpose – There is a significant body of work dealing with the topic of undeclared work and irregular immigrants. However, relatively little is understood about the British general public’s perception of irregular immigrants’ participation in undeclared work. The purpose of this paper is to explore the topic from a social trust angle and to compare its findings with the real extent and distribution of the different sub-populations’ participation in undeclared work. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on the 2007 Eurobarometer data set, drawing upon the results of logistic regression analyses. Findings – The research reveals the extent that socio-demographic, occupational and spatial characteristics influence the perceptions of the general public towards the involvement of irregular immigrants in undeclared work in the UK. These findings are then analysed to show their impact on social trust. Practical implications – A policy intervention addressing perceptions could be joined by or be part of initiatives aiming to increase social trust as their target audience overlaps with both racial and income differences playing a significant role in both matters. Equal treatment should be an essential feature of such new measures as it could have a significant effect on preventing discrimination as a result of negative perceptions. Also, new policies aiming to reduce undeclared work should consider a general scope targeting all ethnic groups at the same time. Focusing on just one minority community intensifies perceptions of the rest of the society and enhances its weakening effect on extra-community links at the same time impeding interpersonal trust and the emergence of social capital. Originality/value – Perceptions of the general public towards irregular immigrants’ engagement in undeclared work has not been analysed in detail previously. The findings of the current paper are based on the 2007 Eurobarometer data set. This paper examines the preconceptions and their impact on social trust from the perspective of the general public.