Migrant Community

Northern Ireland’s community is more diverse than previously thought. The population consists of immigrants that have left their country of origin to reconstruct their lives in a new country as well as  Ireland born people.Some of them choose to settle in Derry. The majority of the immigrant community in Derry consists of Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Polish and other immigrants who have come looking for a better life in Northern Ireland.

Part of the better life immigrants are seeking has to do with jobs. Immigrants that come to Northern Ireland that are not part of the Commonwealth or the EU must have a job offer before their arrival. However, if they are part of the EU then they are able to use local networks to find a job after their arrival. 

Many immigrants that arrive in Derry work in the hospital or healthcare facilities.

 Their work contributes to the overall well being of the society as a whole. Their children also live a similar life. The children of immigrants  usually attend integrated schools depending on their location (rural or urban). Otherwise they attend schooling that reflects their religious beliefs. Even with the integration of them into the community by work or education, first generation immigrants alienate themselves and usually form groups based on their country of origin. 

Even though they integrate themselves into the workforce, they still live separate social lives outside of work.Immigrants sustain the identity of their country because they alienate themselves by forming their social circle.The fact that they alienate themselves, by forming their group based on country of origin. The formations of these groups are used to keep their country origins alive. Forming a group to keep one’s origin alive is not bad , but it becomes bad when is their only form of social life outside of work or school . It can have a negative impact on their psychological well being and social well being, if they choose to leave this community.  

One interesting fact about immigrants here is that these immigrant communities are able to vote based on immigration status and country of origin, which means that immigrants not only make a contribution to society by economic means  but also they can make an impact on the political climate. A member of the Migrant Center explained to me that immigrants are usually neutral on political matters. 

The migrant community is slowly integrated into the community of Derry. There has been an increased teaching of locals about migrant cultures and how to engage with them to provide services. However, there has not been a lot of work done to teach migrants local culture and traditions. With a push in learning about each other, both local community and migrant community can form a new identity that will benefit the city as a whole.