Being a Migrant in the New Destination: the Analysis of Social and Labour Market Experiences of Migrants Residing in a Medium-Sized Northern English Town

This study focuses on migratory experiences in the locality situated in the North of England. This medium-sized town since the late 1990s became a destination for international migrants. Contemporary migration to this locality has been associated with two structural policies: the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers by UK government and the opening of the UK labour market to the new EU citizens from Central Eastern Europe. The study’s sample has included migrant participants coming both from EU and non EU (dispersed) backgrounds. This piece of research is explorative and inductive in nature. Its ontological and epistemological stances are influenced by intepretivism. The data has been gathered through biographical and semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and ethnographic observations. The data and its interpretations contributed to the understanding of the following aspects of migrant living in this locality: the motives of migration, the arrival mechanisms, the experiences of paid employment and informal work. The study also examines the local dynamics of ethnic intolerance and individual experiences of housing provision. The interpretation of empirical data is used to construct a theoretical analysis exploring the migration process in the locality which has a particular set of social and labour market characteristics.