Latest news with #EasternEuropeans
NZ Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Referendum on Italy's citizenship law tests national identity
Long after seeing millions of Italians emigrate as they fled poverty and war, Italy has now become a country to which millions of people have migrated. Its schools and neighbourhoods fill with Africans, Asians, Latin Americans, and Eastern Europeans. Yet many here say the law has not kept up with
Irish Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
The idea that immigration fuels our housing crisis might seem intuitive, but it's wrong
The idea that reducing immigration is the only way to solve the housing crisis – or more simply that 'immigrants are taking our housing' – might seem intuitive in the context of low housing supply and high immigration. It's also sure to become a more prominent part of our politics over the coming years. Looking to other countries can give us a sense of what the future might hold. Anti-immigrant parties are part of governments in Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Hungary, not to mention the US. Here in Ireland, while we don't have a prominent anti-immigrant party, grassroots and online-based groups appear to be growing in size and confidence. International research on the drivers of anti-immigrant sentiment points to economic grievances. For example, political scientists have found that Trump supporters are much less likely to have a college degree and their jobs are more likely to be threatened by globalisation. But in Ireland, economic inequality has not increased over the last four decades and globalisation has been largely positive for employment and incomes. The alternative theory of 'resource scarcity' is more plausible. The argument here is that immigration can cause demand for services to increase quickly, leading to increased competition. This is especially true for things that take time to deliver, like housing and education. Researchers in Austria found that in areas that rely on social housing, perceived housing competition drives anti-immigrant voting. In the Netherlands, there is evidence that voters become less supportive of immigrants when more social housing in their area is allocated to refugees. READ MORE Although it may be intuitive, the idea that opposition to immigration is driven by this kind of competition doesn't stack up in the Irish case. True, housing supply has been inadequate for over a decade, and by historic standards immigration is indeed high. In 2023, 22 per cent of the population were born outside the State. Only two other EU countries had a higher level of foreign-born population – Malta and Cyprus – which are of course Mediterranean islands. The argument that reducing immigration would alleviate the housing crisis therefore appeals to common sense. But what it misses is that it is immigrants themselves who are overwhelmingly the victims of the housing crisis. By any measure, immigrants come out much worse than Irish-born households. Research from the ESRI shows that while a large majority of Irish-born people own their home (77 per cent), little more than a third of non-Irish born households do (37 per cent). In fact, the proportion of Irish-born households who are homeowners has not changed that much over the last few decades. And while we often hear about a 'generation rent' trapped in the private rental sector, in reality almost 60 per cent of immigrants are private renters, compared to just 13.8 per cent of those born here. Only a quarter of Eastern Europeans have got their foot on the property ladder, despite the fact that more than 60 per cent of them have been living in Ireland for more than a decade, and over 80 per cent of Brazilians and Indians are renters. Recent research by DCU's Valesca Lima also shows that discrimination is a common experience among migrants seeking rental accommodation. [ Irish Times poll: Housing is main concern for all population groups Opens in new window ] Migrants are also less likely to live in social housing. Almost 10 per cent of those born here live in social housing, but only 6 per cent of immigrants do. Many immigrants don't have a long-term right to reside and aren't eligible for social housing – and because access to social housing is based on a waiting list, it doesn't favour newcomers. When it comes to housing affordability the picture is much the same. More than one in three migrants spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs, but less than one in 10 Irish-born residents do. This is because the vast majority of Irish-born households are homeowners (and around half of those have no mortgage on their house) and because they are more likely to be in social housing, where rents are very affordable. [ Ireland can't use housing shortfalls as excuse for failing to accommodate single male asylum seekers, ECJ says Opens in new window ] Finally, non-Irish nationals accounted for 46 per cent of single adult homeless presentations and 44 per cent of families in emergency accommodation in 2019. In short, all of the main issues associated with the housing crisis (inability to purchase, affordability, homelessness) are disproportionately experienced by immigrants. This is despite the fact that, on average, immigrants have higher levels of employment and education. The facts don't support the idea that migrants are outcompeting Irish-born households when it comes to housing. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that immigrants are largely competing among themselves to rent overpriced housing from landlords who are overwhelmingly Irish. The idea that 'immigrants are taking our houses' twists the facts to project anger on to those most impacted by high rents and homelessness. It's worth noting that a lot of anti-immigrant activism has focused on the groups of immigrants who are least likely to be driving up house prices and rents, or taking social housing. For those concerned with access to homeownership, it makes more sense to focus on immigration from the UK, the only group of immigrants who have high levels of homeownership. If the issue is high rents, the more likely culprits are Swedish software programmers in the Docklands and not International Protection Applicants who are, in some instances, literally living in tents. This doesn't mean there is no possible case for reducing immigration. But it does mean that simplistically pitting natives against immigrants doesn't help us understand what is happening with Irish housing. And it obscures an issue that should be a major policy concern: making our housing system fairer for everyone who lives and works here. Dr Michael Byrne is a lecturer at UCD and director of the Equality Studies MSc. He writes a weekly newsletter about Irish housing:
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wealthy Americans have similar death rate to poor Europeans: Study
(NewsNation) — Living in America may be a dream for millions outside the United States, but a new study raises thought about the health — and death — of those who live here. Wealthy Americans had a markedly lower life expectancy than wealthy Europeans and a similar age of death to poor Europeans, a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The study analyzed data from nearly 74,000 people, including Western, Northern and Eastern Europeans, as well as Americans, separating them by wealth groups and following their data for 12 years until 2022. All were between 50 and 85 years old. Wealthy Europeans had 35% lower death rates than the wealthiest Americans and had similar death rates to poorer Northern and Western Europeans. JP Morgan predicts 2025 recession as Trump tariffs rattle market The U.S. also had the largest disparity in survival rate between those in the poorest and wealthiest quartiles. 'The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the U.S. contributing to lower life expectancy, such as economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards,' said Irene Papanicolas, lead study author and professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University, in a release. Papanicolas also noted that understanding the factors of these various disparities is key to improving health in the U.S. 'If we want to improve health in the U.S., we need to better understand the underlying factors that contribute to these differences—particularly amongst similar socioeconomic groups—and why they translate to different health outcomes across nations,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Your questions answered on immigration and migration
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire has looked at immigration and migration across the country, and the impact it is having on communities, public services and society. A complex topic, the BBC aims to cut through the rhetoric and get to the facts, going beyond the headlines and politics to put the issue into context. We asked for your questions on the matter. Here is a selection answered by Dr Madeleine Sumption MBE, who is the director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University. It provides impartial, independent and evidence-based analysis of data on migration and migrants in the UK to inform media, public and policy debates. Jenny Lewis, from Grantham, wants to know how many people from abroad work in heath care, and if the NHS and social care could survive without them. In response, Dr Sumption said the NHS relied quite heavily on overseas doctors and nurses, as does the social care sector. She said it was difficult to imagine a scenario with no overseas recruitment, but added it would depend on what else we did as a country. "For example, whether we increase the number of domestic nurses that we train – or if you look at the care sector – whether the government improves pay and conditions." David Bedford, 59, from Lincolnshire, wants to know what percentage of Eastern Europeans work in the NHS. Dr Sumption says while there is no specific data on Eastern European workers, if you look at the health and care sectors together, one in six workers come from overseas - making health "slightly more reliant" on overseas workers than other industries. Ray Bennett, from Little Carlton, asks why people are risking their lives in small boats to get to the UK, rather than claiming asylum in the first safe country they get to? Dr Sumption says: "In terms of the risks, one thing that is quite interesting is that people are willing to take quite extraordinary risks… to make that journey." She says if you look at the numbers coming to the UK in small boats as a share of overall migration "it's actually quite low". However, she adds: "That doesn't mean we shouldn't be talking about it." "What's happening on the small boats is a dangerous form of migration – the costs are higher, so I think it's reasonable there has been more of a focus on it." Stuart, from Lincolnshire, asks what impact immigration was having on UK crime rates. "There has been a little bit of research on this – which has so far not actually found much of a connection between immigration and crime," says Dr Sumption. However, she says some studies from the US and UK suggest that immigration might have actually decreased crime. "This is an area which needs more evidence," she adds. Steve Wright, 75, from Lincolnshire, suggests migrants on benefits are "costing the country a fortune". Dr Sumption: "If you look at the total cost of migration and the benefits in terms of the taxes that people pay, it seems migrants pay more or less the amount of taxes it would take to provide them with benefits and other public services. "It does, of course, vary quite a lot, so those on low incomes are much more likely to be net recipients from the system. At the same time, those who are earning a lot are paying a lot of tax and subsidising others." 'We're not different to them' - migrant worker How many people come to work and study in the UK? How many people cross the Channel in small boats? Migration Observatory
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Lincolnshire: Your questions on immigration answered
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire has looked at immigration and migration across the country, and the impact it is having on communities, public services and society.A complex topic, the BBC aims to cut through the rhetoric and get to the facts, going beyond the headlines and politics to put the issue into asked for your questions on the matter. Here is a selection answered by Dr Madeleine Sumption MBE, who is the director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University. It provides impartial, independent and evidence-based analysis of data on migration and migrants in the UK to inform media, public and policy debates. Jenny Lewis, from Grantham, wants to know how many people from abroad work in heath care, and if the NHS and social care could survive without response, Dr Sumption said the NHS relied quite heavily on overseas doctors and nurses, as does the social care said it was difficult to imagine a scenario with no overseas recruitment, but added it would depend on what else we did as a country."For example, whether we increase the number of domestic nurses that we train – or if you look at the care sector – whether the government improves pay and conditions." David Bedford, 59, from Lincolnshire, wants to know what percentage of Eastern Europeans work in the Sumption says while there is no specific data on Eastern European workers, if you look at the health and care sectors together, one in six workers come from overseas - making health "slightly more reliant" on overseas workers than other industries. Ray Bennett, from Little Carlton, asks why people are risking their lives in small boats to get to the UK, rather than claiming asylum in the first safe country they get to?Dr Sumption says: "In terms of the risks, one thing that is quite interesting is that people are willing to take quite extraordinary risks… to make that journey."She says if you look at the numbers coming to the UK in small boats as a share of overall migration "it's actually quite low".However, she adds: "That doesn't mean we shouldn't be talking about it.""What's happening on the small boats is a dangerous form of migration – the costs are higher, so I think it's reasonable there has been more of a focus on it." Stuart, from Lincolnshire, asks what impact immigration was having on UK crime rates."There has been a little bit of research on this – which has so far not actually found much of a connection between immigration and crime," says Dr she says some studies from the US and UK suggest that immigration might have actually decreased crime."This is an area which needs more evidence," she adds. Steve Wright, 75, from Lincolnshire, suggests migrants on benefits are "costing the country a fortune". Dr Sumption: "If you look at the total cost of migration and the benefits in terms of the taxes that people pay, it seems migrants pay more or less the amount of taxes it would take to provide them with benefits and other public services."It does, of course, vary quite a lot, so those on low incomes are much more likely to be net recipients from the system. At the same time, those who are earning a lot are paying a lot of tax and subsidising others."
