ICAR

Statistics

This section summarizes available statistical information on asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow, broader contextual data on resident ethnic minority communities and general information about the city itself.

• Asylum seekers
• Refugees
• Minority ethnic population 
• Employment
• Education
• Housing
• Crime
• Religious diversity

Asylum seekers

As of January 2008, the number of asylum seekers supported in Glasgow was 4,887, broken down into these categories:

• Section 95 (accommodation and support) 3,913 individuals/1,546 households
• Section 4 (failed applicants receiving support) 606 individuals/446 households
• Subs only: 55 indivuduals/26 households

The following graph dates from 2006 and shows the main countries of origin arriving in Glasgow:

www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org

In the period between 2005 and 2008, NASS Quarterly Statistics published by the Home Office show the following numbers, either in accommodation facilities or under subsistence-support only:

This represents more variety than the previous available data of December 2004, where Home Office figures showed that asylum seekers from 54 different countries of origin were being housed in the Home Office accommodation. Turks represented approximately 13% of the total number of asylum seekers currently being supported by the Home Office in Glasgow. Iraqis and Pakistanis at the time constituted the largest groups of asylum seekers in Glasgow who were receiving subsistence-only support from the Home Office. Also, there were approximately 150 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (SRC, 2007).

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Refugees

It is very difficult to calculate the number of refugees in any given city. This is because the Home Office only keeps statistics on the number of asylum seekers that are being accommodated and/or supported. As a result estimates on the number of refugees can only be made using research or client data collected by relevant agencies. It is also the case that data is not collected on the location of individuals awarded ELR, HP or DL and asylum seekers that are not accommodated or supported by the Home Office.

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Minority ethnic population

An analysis of the 2001 census, conducted by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), found that 3.3% of Scotland's population was born abroad, but immigration and asylum has increased that proportion in some areas of Glasgow to the 5.5% reported in 2001. According to 2001 Census figures, 94.5% of the population of Glasgow describe themselves as 'white'; 0.72% as 'Indian'; 3.04% as 'Pakistani and other South Asian'; 0.67% as 'Chinese'; and 1.02% as 'other'.

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Employment

In terms of the occupational structure of different ethnic groups, the largest percentage (26.6%) of Indian workers are in 'professional occupations' such as health and teaching, comprising 1.2% of the whole Glaswegian workforce employed in that field.

The largest percentage (23.3%) of Pakistani and other South Asian ethnic minority employees are in 'sales and customer service occupations', making up 4.7% of the total workforce in this area.

Chinese workers are most concentrated in the 'textiles, printing and other skilled trades' sector in which 27.7% of them work, comprising 8% of total employees in this area.

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Education

In 2006, there were over 1,500 asylum seeking children attending school in Glasgow, two thirds of who attend primary school.

In terms of higher educational qualifications by ethnic group, 30% of 'white' Glasgow residents aged 25 - 34 gained a university degree or professional qualification, compared to 46.3% of Indians, 26.8% of Pakistani or other South Asian people and 49.3% of Chinese residents.

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Housing

Two of the main areas that house asylum seekers, refugees and minority ethnic populations in Glasgow are Pollokshields and Cowlairs. Pollokshields is an area on the south side of the city that has become home to many people of Asian descent. IPPR's research found that 11% of people living in this area had been born outside of the UK. Cowlairs is an area of Glasgow where those who were born outside the UK has trebled since from 2.4% in 1991 to 6.4% in 2001 (IPPR 2005). In January 2005, approximately 913 (15.7%) of Glasgow's asylum seekers were found to reside in the area.

Under the agreement signed with Home Office for dispersal, Glasgow City Council was the sole provider of accommodation until 2006. As of 2006, the Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), under contract to Glasgow City Council, provides 81% of the accommodation, the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) provides 9% and Angel London Ltd provides 10% (SRC 2007).

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Crime

Although harassment and intimidation of asylum seekers and refugees often goes unreported, in 2004 it was revealed that asylum seekers and refugees were increasingly becoming the victims of racial attacks in Glasgow (The Scotsman, March 2004). In 2004 more than a quarter (28%) of ethnic minority families consulted that were living in Glasgow said they had been victims in racist attacks since April 2003 (Positive Action in Housing (PAIH) 174). This represented a rise of 75% from the previous year. More than 21% of these families were of Pakistani origin. The Scottish Refugee Council also found that 45% of Glaswegians expressed concern at having asylum seekers or refugees as neighbours and 29% thought it acceptable for asylum seekers and refugees to be treated worse than others (SRC, 2003).

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 Religious diversity  

64.85% of Glasgow's residents are Christian (31.5% Church of Scotland, 29.2% Roman Catholic, 4.06% 'Other Christian'). This is in keeping with the national average. The next largest group of religiously aligned people are Muslims at 3.08%, compared to the national average of 0.84%.

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Last Updated: 06/10/09

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