Op-Ed Contributors

Concerns for ethnic Chinese

By Bin Wu and Jackie Sheehan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-19 07:56

The challenge facing not just the UK authorities but governments across Europe is how to devise ways in which the supply of migrant workers can respond to demand through legal channels.

They need to move with urgency. The Chinese ethnic economy and migrant population in the UK have experienced rapid growth in the last decade, causing the profile of the UK Chinese community to undergo continual transformation.

Ownership of Chinese businesses is shifting from people of Hong Kong origin and overseas Chinese from countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, to Chinese of mainland origin, especially Fujian and Northeast China.

According to the UK's Office of National Statistics, the Chinese are the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK, increasing at an annual rate of 9.9 percent between 2001 and 2007. The Chinese embassy in the UK says there are 600,000 Chinese in the UK, including those of mixed Chinese and British nationality, 100,000 students and 150,000-200,000 undocumented or irregular Chinese migrants.

Improving the monitoring of recruitment channels to prevent abusive practices across the UK, and the European Union as a whole, will require a Chinese community building approach that relies on Chinese community groups and organizations working closely together.

As the vast majority of Chinese migrant workers have poor English, the Chinese-language media overseas should assume greater responsibility for protecting migrant workers and informing them of their rights.

Identifying several model Chinese communities could also enhance Chinese community development. Community integration has been severely hampered by deep divisions within Chinese communities, caused by differing regions of origin, skill levels and the length of time spent in the UK.

The creation of a Chinese community development foundation would go a long way to increasing interaction and communication between community members. If Chinese entrepreneurs and companies could provide some of the funds then they would be more likely to invest the time and energy to ensure the foundation is a success.

Another positive move would be the establishment of a UK Chinese University Student Volunteering Support Network to organize student volunteers to provide services and support to meet the most urgent needs of Chinese migrant workers.

It is in this spirit that the Capacity Building for Migration Management project has been set up to promote cooperation between China and the EU on migration issues.

It is hoped that the project will identify shortcomings in law and policy that affect Chinese migrant workers in the EU. Only then can labor abuses and exploitation be tamed, and bonded labor begin to become a dark memory of the past.

Bin Wu is senior research fellow and Dr Jackie Sheehan is associate professor at the University of Nottingham's School of Contemporary Chinese Studies.

(China Daily 10/19/2010 page8)