Why Mid Ulster
According to the Northern Ireland Census 2021, of the ten councils outside of Belfast, Mid Ulster District Council is the most ethnically diverse.
WHy Mid Ulster
Census figures show ethnically non-white people make up 7.5% of Belfast City Council’s residents, but Mid Ulster’s non-white figure of 3.99% is the highest of the remaining council areas. This is likely to have increased significantly in the last 4 years since the previous census. It is the fastest growing Council area in Northern Ireland, with a multicultural population of 146,427 is forecast to grow to 165,000 by 2030 ( www.midulstercouncil.org). Mid Ulster has been referred to as the “beating heart” of Northern Ireland’s economy, with lots of talent, lower costs and high-speed international connectivity.
Following the European Union’s expansion into Eastern Europe in 2004, many people from Central and Eastern European countries gained relatively free access to the UK labour market including Northern Ireland. Migrant workers came to Mid Ulster for many reasons including economic reasons to fill labour shortages in sectors like manufacturing, agriculture and construction.
Migrant workers were particularly concentrated in sectors like:
WHy Mid Ulster
Manufacturing and Engineering
01
Mid Ulster has strong clusters in these areas, with global leaders in high-growth export sectors.
Food Processing and Agri-Food
02
Dungannon, in particular, has seen a significant influx of workers, especially from East Timor, employed in these industries.
Horticulture
A large proportion of horticultural businesses in Northern Ireland employed migrant workers, especially in mushroom, fruit, and indoor flower growing.
03
Filling Labour Gaps
Migrant workers often filled roles that were difficult, dangerous, or low-paying, which may have been less attractive to the local workforce.
04
Economic Growth and Diversity
05
Migrant workers contributed to economic growth by filling labour shortages and potentially retaining industry that might otherwise have been outsourced. They also added to the cultural diversity of the area.
Dungannon as a “Diversity Town”:
Dungannon, in Mid Ulster, has become known as a “diversity town” due to the large number of migrants who have chosen to live and work there.” – Google
06
WHy Mid Ulster
the influx of migrants in the Mid Ulster area was greatly encouraged by opportunities of work
Many of the women interviewed confirmed how the influx of migrants in the Mid Ulster area was greatly encouraged by opportunities of work and to “make a better life” for themselves and their families and some explained how they had come to join their husbands and other family members who were working in Mid Ulster prior to 2004. Interestingly, many of the women and their families have been 10+ years.
Brexit has significantly changed the ability of migrants to come so freely from Eastern Europe particularly in pursuit of work and a better life for them and their families. Local businesses have been impacted with large numbers of migrants having to return to their countries of origin following Brexit, as the right to work in NI was no longer valid. One business owner explained how his organisation had supported migrants who had returned home with sponsorship and visa application so they could return to Mid Ulster and continue their work here. Migrants have supported the economy in such businesses and the loss of this migrant work force proved detrimental to businesses following Brexit.