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Seminar to consider the effect of migration four years after the enlargement of the EU

Professor Roger Vickerman and Dr Matloob Piracha from the Department of Economics, University of Kent, will be joined by members of local government and government services, among others, for a seminar that will consider the impact four years of migration has had on the national and regional economies, as well as other areas of society.

Organised by the University of Kent Centre for Europe and Kent County Council's European Affairs Group, the seminar - titled 'Four years after enlargement: rechecking the balance' - will take place on Friday 7 March at 1.30pm on the University of Kent's Canterbury campus.

Speakers will include Professor Vickerman and Dr Piracha; Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Public Policy Research; Michal Garapich, an expert on Polish migration to the UK from the University of Surrey's Centre for Research on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism; and Krzystof Trepczynski, Minister for Economic Development at the Polish Embassy.

Representatives from the Kent county and district councils, the South East England Development Agency, the Government Office for the South East, the Department for Communities and Local Government, Kent Police and Fire and Rescue Services, Dover Harbour Board, Eurotunnel, the Institute for Public Policy Research and Chatham House will be among those attending.

Professor Vickerman said: 'The enlargements of the European Union in 2004 and 2007, and Britain's decision to allow the free movement of people from the new member states into the UK, saw the arrival of many skilled migrants into not only the main UK cities, but also smaller rural towns and communities. At the time of the first enlargement many sectors of the British press were highly sceptical about the perceived impact that these new members of the population would have on the state finances, employment for UK citizens and local communities.

'This seminar is a timely and excellent opportunity for individuals, organisations and agencies to update their knowledge of this area, give their views and exchange information on the issues facing local communities as a result of migration patterns.'

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 11:00am 28 February 2008