Town integration under the spotlight as minister visits

Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Chuka Umunna meets with people from Boston at the Municipal Buildings. Photo: Twitter/ @IntegrationAPPG EMN-160826-143456001

Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna was in the town last Monday in his capacity as the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Social Integration.

He met with councillors, council staff, community leaders, an over 65s group and a group of young people to talk about the EU referendum, immigration, community cohesion and social integration.

A spokesman for Mr Umunna said there was a mix of ages, genders, occupations and views.

According to the spokesman the aims of the meetings were to ‘see what the impact of immigration has been on the community; to ask if people are concerned about pressures on public services, jobs or the feel of the community; and to ask what the relationship is like with new immigrants and whether there are any barriers to this’.

Following the meetings Mr Umunna said: “Thank you to everyone who joined me in Boston to input into the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration inquiry on immigration.

“For me, the take-aways from the day have been learning about a community which is keen to better know the new people who have immigrated into their neighbourhood, but there are barriers with language and exploitation in the labour market.

“The additional supply in labour has led to a depression in wages and undercutting in the job market; and the interplay with exploitation in the private rental housing sector is stark.

“It is fascinating that so many of the concerns raised are similar to those in my own constituency, with the same pressures and issues. From funding for community services, to new immigrants needing to learn English.”

Mr Umunna was a vocal spokesman for Britain Stronger In Europe and his constituency of Streatham recorded one of the highest Remain votes in the country .

The comments and discussions made at these meetings will feed into a broader inquiry the APPG is doing on immigration, which will produces its first report later this year. Comments will be anonymised. It will be available on the APPG’s website.

To submit evidence to the report visit www.socialinte grationappg.org.uk/call-for-evidence-100816