“Making disability information accessible to individuals from Black & Minority Ethnic groups”
A review of current findings and thinking
June 2008
SID (Social Information on Disability)
as part of an
EHRC (Equality & Human Rights Commission) funded project
Demographics
United Kingdom
The demographic figures most widely quoted are still based on the 2001 Census. These statistics therefore have a limited value, particularly in the light of the significant levels of population movement into the UK from Eastern Europe over the last five years. They provide a basis from which to work initially, but the following information should be read with this in mind, and further information needs to be sought to gain a true picture.
The size of the minority ethnic population was 4.6 million in 2001 or 7.9 per cent of the total population of the United Kingdom.
Half of the total minority ethnic population were Asians of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and other Asian origin. A quarter of minority ethnic people described themselves as Black - that is Black Caribbean, Black African or Other Black. Fifteen per cent of the minority ethnic population described their ethnic group as mixed. About a third of this group were White and Black Caribbean backgrounds
In 2001 Indians were the largest minority group, followed by Pakistanis, those of mixed ethnic background, Black Caribbean, Black Africans and Bangladeshis. The remaining minority ethnic groups each accounted for less than 0.5 per cent, but together accounted for a further 1.4 per cent of the UK population.
In Great Britain the minority population grew by 53% between 1991 and 2001, from 3.0 million in 1991 to 4.6 million in 2001, with an expectation that this figure would rise considerably, particularly in relation to the Bangladeshi and Black African populations.
South East Region
The South East region has a relatively low minority ethnic population, as opposed to an area such as London, where the percentage is high and networks of neighbourhood support and specialist service provision are more readily available. Minority ethnic population as a percentage of the total population (Winter 2003) Office for National Statistics:
London - 23% UK - 8.1% South East - 4.2%
Surrey
Information from the 2001 Census shows that the boroughs of Woking and Epsom & Ewell have non-white populations which account for almost 9% of the population. 3.9% of Woking’s population are of Pakistani background and are the largest proportion of people from a single ethnic minority. 1% of residents in Woking, 1.4% in Elmbridge, 1.7& in Epsom & Ewell and 1.9% in Spelthorne are of Indian origin. These are the most significant sized clusters at a borough level.
More recently, a report in May 2005 ‘Consultation with BME Communities’ for Surrey Supporting People Team, Surrey County Council, carried out by PS Consultants reported that the ethnic population in Surrey has increased by 5% since the 1991 Census and is now estimated to account for more than 5% of the population, over 50,000 people.
Surrey also has the fourth highest population of Gypsies and Travellers in the UK. It is difficult to estimate with accuracy the number of Gypsy and Traveller people in Surrey, but it is thought to be as many as 10,000. This makes them the largest ethnic minority group in the county.
Research carried out in 2006 by North Harbour Consulting Ltd on behalf of the Surrey ChangeUp Consortium found migrant workers from Spain and Portugal, Asia, Mauritius and the Philippines living or working in the Epsom & Ewell are, as well as evidence to suggest that on the Hounslow/Stanwell borders there is a group of Somalis and refugees or economic migrants from Serbia and Croatia. Evidence also points to there being young migrants from Italy in the Elmbridge area. Generally, people from minority communities are dispersed in relatively small numbers across the county, including the rural areas.
In recent years the influx of economic migrants from Central and Eastern Europe to the UK has increased. In Surrey, the location and support needs of these groups have not yet been determined and require further research. However, it is known that more than 5,000 Polish residents have move into Surrey since 2003.
People seeking asylum are dealt with nationally by the National Asylum Seekers Service – NASS. Therefore, asylum seekers entering Surrey may not necessarily settle here and would only be known to Surrey County Council if they are in need of a community care service. At the time of writing this report there are 167 children and young people from BME communities known to social services. To provide some perspective, the Office for National Statistics reports that the UK received 24,345 asylum applications in 2007/08, of which 28% were granted asylum or Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave and 72% were refused.
* A person waiting for a decision from the Home Office on their claim is an asylum seeker and achieves refugee status when their claim has been accepted.<< Previous Page Contents Page Next Page >>
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