Role of migrant workers studied

East of England Development Agency explores migrants' role

A major study is under way into the role of migrant workers in the East Anglian economy and the risks to businesses of their numbers falling.

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has commissioned the study.

A spokesman said: "It will, for the first time, offer a clear picture of how many migrants work and live here."

The Workers Registration Scheme shows about 47,000 migrants work in the east. The study will also investigate issues helping or impeding migration.

The study, called Migrant Worker Availability in the East of England, will assess the potential risks to businesses, public services and the regional economy as a whole, if migrant worker availability was to reduce significantly.

It will cover employment in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

'Ebb and flow'

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) will conduct the study over the next six months and will report in the New Year.

Mark Allison, migrant workers manager at EEDA, said: "The message we get from businesses is unequivocal - that they could not survive without migrant workers.

"However, it is of vital importance that decisions surrounding migration policy, both regionally and nationally, are made with due consideration of hard evidence."

Previous IPPR research states that the East of England has witnessed significant flows of migration in recent years.

About 12% of migrants from eastern Europe listed on the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) between May 2004 and December 2007 worked initially in the East of England but over half of them have already returned home.

Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, director of research strategy for IPPR, said: "It's important to understand that migration is not a one-way process.

"We know that the East of England has been a popular destination for migrants in recent years but this doesn't mean that migrants will continue to arrive in such large numbers. Migration often ebbs and flows."