The Campaign Company has recently published a comment piece discussing the issues surrounding the analysis of international migration at a local level, particularly those relating to the paucity of research data on the subject. The article makes particular reference to a report on migration in the East of England, which concludes that the lack of a single data source on migrant communities is impeding councils’ ability to design and provide services that reflect the needs of their local residents. The article then moves on to argue that local authorities in areas with particularly high migration rates ought to collaborate in order to produce a shared data resource covering demographics, employment details, housing, health, lifestyle and values. Council officers could then use this information in order to help plan work relating to community engagement and cohesion.

The full article can be found on the Campaign Company website: http://www.thecampaigncompany.co.uk/blog/community-cohesion-in-the-east-of-england/.

Photo credit: Crowd at Qwest Field by Steve Voght.