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The English market town where they speak 65 languages...and a quarter of the people are Eastern European migrants
Last updated at 18:22pm on 23.04.08The scale of the migrant boom was laid bare yesterday with the revelation that Eastern Europeans make up a quarter of one town's population.
So many settlers have arrived in Boston, Lincolnshire, that 65 languages are spoken in a market town of only 70,000 inhabitants.
Hazel Blears revealed the figure yesterday in giving evidence to the Commons communities select committee.
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Boston: The growing migrant communities are causing tension among residents
The MPs are examining the impact on community relations of the arrival of 800,000 migrants from the former Soviet Bloc.
Mrs Blears, the Communities Secretary, said some councils had been faced by "rapid migration" and had set up "myth-busting" units to ease local tensions.
"There are some communities that, because of the scale and pace of change that has taken place, are feeling the impact," she added.
"It is absolutely right that we acknowledge that."
She told the MPs that the Government was considering making employers pay for English lessons for their migrant workers in order to foster integration.
Figures from her officials show that only 38 per cent of Boston residents believe people of different backgrounds "get on" in the town.
Local supermarkets are now setting up whole Polish aisles to cope with demand for home comforts
Boston's is the lowest score in the country, making it one of ten towns where the figure is below 60 per cent.
The national figure is 82 per cent.
MPs on the communities committee accused the Government of failing to prepare councils for the migrant influx.
Anne Main, Tory member for St Albans, said: "Part of the problem is we did not see this coming.
"It was not predicted and funding was not in place.
"The figures were totally unanticipated.
"Part of the problem for communities is it is too fast, too quick and the money is lagging behind."
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Mrs Blears also admitted that official data on migrant numbers was not as up to date or comprehensive as she would like.
She said the Local Government Association had urged ministers to use "footfall" data from Tesco and other supermarkets to try to establish the real figures.
Her spokesman later ruled out the idea.
The communities committee yesterday published a memo from a Government quango warning of community tensions arising from immigration.
It said: "We are aware of new patterns of racial prejudice and hostility, whereby some members of settled communities of Asian and Caribbean origin appear to resent the arrival of new ethnic minorities and the consequent competition for race equality resources.
"Initial findings from research show this is attributable to increased competition for access to public services, such as housing and local amenities.
"Preparing existing populations for new arrivals is key to addressing such tensions."
Last night, business leaders dismissed the idea of English lessons for foreign workers.
Sally Low, policy director at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Employers have been forced to use migrant labour to fill the skills shortages endemic throughout the UK.
"With this in mind, legislation that forces businesses to fund migrants' language lessons seems extremely unfair.
Lure: Boston, which even has its own Eastern European vodka bar
"Migrants have protected the economy from the more damaging effects of a skills shortage and the majority of businesses have only used them because of the inherent failings of the UK's education system."
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "The minister's admission completely undermines the assertion she held to when she was in the Home Office in 2004 that no more than 13,000 migrants would arrive in this country each year.
"This shows why the Government should have listened to our calls to impose transitional controls on these countries when they had the chance and should definitely adopt our policy of imposing transitional controls on future EU members."
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Thousands of Eastern Europeans have settled in Boston because farm work is readily available (file photo)
Reader views (9)
From the comments here it is clear that the British have had enough of the media trying to stir up hatred between the indigenous and migrant communities it's nice to see so many people standing up for immigration, we need more of this to combat the blatant "stirring" in our media.
- Daveb, London
I love it when people talk about Eastern Europeans contributing to the economy. If they only intend to stay for a short time and remit most of their pay home how much are they contributing? If most of them are employed in building, farming and casual work how much tax are they paying? If they are in generally low paid work, but are entitled to local services what is their net contribution? Uncontrolled immigration just forces down salaries in general and discourages training of the local population further.
- Mark, London
To say the government has failed in its estimation of the appeal of the UK as a destination of choice is an understatement. The east Europeans are providing a vital service to the failing structures of UK society. As a teacher to many of these new arrivals in the east of England, their spoken English may be poor, but their work ethic, desire to integrate and economic contribution is remarkable. Businesses should contribute to their language development, as mandatory training, but we all know training in the UK is not a priority for businesses just try any retail experience.
- Sherry, UK
The U.K. has been a de facto province of a federal country (E.U.) for some time, and this will be legally formalized at the end of the year when the E.U. Constitution is fully ratified. People always have the right to move between provinces of a federal state. Consider an American's right to move from Florida to Ohio, or a Canadian's right to move from Ontario to British Columbia. Anybody can move wherever they like once they have gained entry to a country. Where David Davis is wrong is in calling the U.K. a country. Nominally it is in fact a country for a few more months, at least to the end of this year, but long ago it gave up being what is usually meant by a sovereign country. Those days are gone. The U.K. is a province, as it was for 400 years under the Romans and for several hundred years under the early Norman kings. The difference is that this sceptred isle regained its independence from those rulers, but it never will regain independence from E.U. rule. There simply is not the political will.
- Phil Jones, London UK
And, the point is..?
With regard to Eastern Europeans: There are plenty of UK citizens who have taken over almost entire villages in the south of Spain, most of whom do not speak Spanish. And non Greek speaking Germans who have done the same in parts of Greece. At least most of the Poles etc. speak our language and often have very good qualifications. What some seem to forget is ALL Europeans have exact same rights to live and work where ever they wish in the EU. The East Europeans mentioned are doing nothing illegal. If anything most are contributing to UK economically....
- Daizy, N England
The review here is absolutely correct. I am Boston born and bred, and until recently would defend the town and the inhabitants to the hilt. Over the past few years the influx of 'Eastern Europeans' has been incredible. I have two children, one of which leaves school this year. I have stressed to them, that the only way to get on, is to leave Boston - words I never thought I would hear myself say to them. The town is dying, there are no decent jobs. The land work is taken by the migrants who are forced to work for a low pay, so there is nothing for the locals. It is a very sad situation!
- Elaine Topley, Boston, Lincolnshire - England!
The government has no idea of the true number of migrants within the UK as you only have to look at the make up of major cities to realize the numbers are much higher than what is being reported. I grew up in West London during the 80's and my home town is now a no go area and whites are the minority, like many towns in London.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
You can't have this speed of new-culture in-flow without the incumbent culture being lost in very short order. Soon there will be very little left of the 'Britishness' of a generation ago. It makes a total mockery of Brown's ongoing Britishness campaign. More apropos would be for him to change his campaign to a 'Europeness' campaign. The man has destroyed this country, literally, with his and Clegg's parties' approval of the Lisbon Treaty Bill, which gives U.K. ratification to the new federal system of government in which the U.K. becomes one of 27 provinces. It's set to come into force at the end of the current year. Watch for big, big changes!
- Phil Jones, London UK
While the immigrants from Poland may be immigrants in this generation, their children will learn English, integrate and become English citizens. They will adopt English customs and dress in Western clothes
Contrast this with immigrants from Pakistan & Bangladesh. Their children have not only failed to integrate but have regressed back to the customs of their parents complete with Pakistani style clothing.
- Marc, Harrow, UK
