Learning the language of friendship

Kasha Ghumran loves Bradford.

"I lived in London and Oxford before I came here, and I found that Bradford is the best place to be," she says. "It is such a friendly city - the only problem is understanding what people are saying, with their Yorkshire accent."

Kasha is Polish and came to England 17 years ago to study. She has settled in Bradford and is now helping Eastern European migrants who have arrived in the city since Britain opened its borders to immigration from the ten new EU member states in 2004.

"I am at the heart of the Polish community," says Kasha, who is a voluntary member of the Eastern European Working Group, a multi-agency group set up 18 months ago, made up of representatives from different communities and groups across Bradford.

Since 2004 there has been a steady stream of new migrants to the district from EU accession states. They are mainly from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with smaller numbers from Latvia.

Across the country numbers are estimated at about 1.5 million, or 4.1 per cent of the total workforce. Numbers now living in Bradford are not fully known.

The migrants travel to Britain to work, with many having jobs when they arrive - arranged through agencies working across the EU. Initially, they gravitate towards inner city areas where it is easier to find accommodation.

"Settlement is related to the availability of rental accommodation, which tends to be in inner city areas such as Girlington, Manningham, Leeds Road, and West Bowling," says Sarah Blow, chairman of the Eastern European Working Group.

As properties are filled, they move further out, with immigrant communities emerging in areas including Lidget Green, Shipley and Bingley.

One of the aims of the working group - whose members include Bradford Vision, Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Community Accord, as well as community groups such as the Manningham and Girlington Partnership - has been to dispel confusion. Assumptions by others that the migrant workers are asylum seekers, or refugees, can lead to them having difficulty accessing the right services and support.

"We are working with all the communities in Bradford," says Miss Blow, "We are looking at the experience of new migrants and at any barriers they may come across in access to services and looking at how we can improve that."

Language barriers are a major hurdle to new arrivals. "It is very difficult," says factory worker Slavomir Karala, who came to Bradford two years ago from Slovakia, "For instance, you need to know how the system works, like how to get a national insurance number, where to go to find somewhere to live, what the laws are. Everything is different in Slovakia."

To help newcomers find their feet, a booklet, Welcome to Bradford, has been produced by Bradford Council's diversity and inclusion projects. Packed with information about services including health, education and welfare, this thorough and informative guide is produced in several Eastern European languages and will shortly be available as a CD.

But there is a need for more trained interpreters.

Work is being done to address this. Donna Harper, manager of the Thornton-based community, learning and schools support service said: "We are working in conjunction with Bradford College to develop courses in interpreting skills."

Miss Harper is also working with parents to help them understand the school system. Nationally, families make up only around a quarter of those arriving in Britain from Eastern Europe, with the majority being single people.

"Some schools are employing teaching assistants who can speak Czech, Polish or another Eastern European language."

And the Eastern European Working Group has been working with the Learning Skills Council to provide basic language classes. These will take place at different locations within the city.

"Work is also taking place with businesses to raise awareness of language barriers and support needs," she adds. "We know there are some employers in Bradford who are doing workplace-based learning and bilingual health and safety sessions. Understanding health and safety at work is a big issue."

Despite what many would describe as negative stories in the national Press about the vast numbers of immigrants causing services to be overburdened and resources stretched, those working with migrant workers in Bradford report few cases of animosity. Groups in Bradford are working hard to iron out any misconceptions.

"There has been a small amount of tension," says Miss Harper. "Some members of the indigenous community think people are moving in and are immediately given a house. The majority of people have sold their homes and cars to come here and are funding themselves."

And, once they arrive in Britain, EU migrant workers are not entitled to any public funds. Says Miss Blow: "They receive no benefits or a leg up the housing ladder. They come to work - they want to contribute to the economy." To receive benefits they must fulfil strict criteria and work for a certain number of hours each week, for a year.

It must be remembered, members of the working group point out, migration to the Bradford district is not a new phenomenon and has been taking place for decades.

Miss Harper likened the influx of migrant workers to the situation in 1974 when Britain joined the EU. "It is like the TV series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, when British workers went across the Germany. It is the same scenario."

Adds Sarah Blow: "We are not channelling resources away from existing communities."

Kasha points out that migrants are not competing for jobs with members of the indigenous population. "Many are filling vacancies that would be difficult to fill, like low-paid work on construction sites and in factories."

A Bradford European Forum has been set up to allow established Eastern European community groups within the district to raise any concerns they have. Some communities - Poles being one example - who came as migrants many years ago, already have established clubs for their community, but other don't.

"Czechs and Slovakians are making their history in Bradford," says Steven Kingston, partnership manager with Bradford Vision who works with communities in the district, in particular those that are disadvantaged.

"I think it is important that we have the right support for those coming to Bradford and for existing communities."

Within communities, activities such as open days are being organised at central points such as community centres for people to get together and meet each other while looking at the services on offer. This recently took place in Girlington. Says Miss Blow: "It was very successful, and since the event we have had a lot of people coming back to see what else is happening."

A growing number of Slovaks have found permanent jobs and homes in Bradford and have expressed a desire to set up community groups. The EU Working Group is fundraising to employ a support worker to help them.

More than 400 people turned up at two events held in Bradford for all EU migrants giving information about services in the Bradford district.

The agencies working in Bradford are hoping to build on what they have learned from those in other areas of the country, and pass on their own good practice.