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Following EU enlargement in May 2004, millions of people from the so-called Accession 8 (A8) countries - Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - were granted the right to live and work in the UK.

While accurate figures are hard to come by (see below), most of us have become aware of these hard-working new arrivals who often hold down a number of low paid jobs that many English workers are quick to turn down. And many employers, impressed by the work ethic of migrants, now say they can’t manage without them.ÌýÌý

How many migrant workers are here?

None of the Greater Manchester authorities who responded to a recent 91Èȱ¬ survey could say accurately how many European migrants were living in their area.

Other evidence is less direct. For instance, Greater Manchester Police report that the amount they have spent on translators has almost trebled in five years – up from £350,000 to just under £1m by 2006/07/.

Which countries do they come from?

There are no regional figures but UK-wide the highest percentage come from Poland (66%) - around two thirds. After that in order of popularity the workers come from Slovakia (10%), Lithuania (10%), Latvia (5%), Czech (5%), Hungary (3%), Estonia (1%), Slovenia (0%).

Where are the main migrant communities?

Polish communities, being the largest, are the most noticeable. Many of them have settled in areas like Old Trafford and Salford where rented housing is affordable. Consequently, shops in these areas have more Polish products on sale to cater for these communities.

Official figures, while inaccurate, indicate that the largest proportion of migrant workers have settled in Manchester local authority area (4,120), with Trafford (2,190), Bolton (1,422) and Salford (1,142) the next largest.

What work are they doing?

Contrary to popular opinion, the migrants are not all builders and plumbers! 41% work in casual warehouse or factory jobs. Hospitality and Catering accounts for 17%, Manufacturing 9%, Food processing 6%, Agriculture 5%, Construction 5%, with Health, Transport, Entertainment and Retail making up the rest.

Who are the main employers in Greater Manchester?

There are a number of companies who have a policy of recruiting migrant workers but two large employers are:

Hazeldene Foods Ltd, Wigan – employs mainly Polish workers and recognised as a ‘best practice’ employer by Migrant Watch North West.

Stagecoach – the Manchester bus company provides Polish drivers with English classes and has a 'learning centre' for training (set up with T & G involvement). Recruitment centres in Eastern Europe.

How long are they intending to stay?

Many of the migrants are young, single and male seasonal workers. According to the official stats eight out of ten migrant workers are under 34. Many of them planned to work here for a few months, save money and return home. According to the Accession Monitoring Report in the 12 months to May 2007, 55% of registered workers claimed they intended to stay in the UK for less than 3 months. However, some studies suggest that over 50% have been in the NW for more than 12 months and 27% for at least three years. In other words, many workers say they will stay short term when registering but end up staying much longer.