Britain is more culturally diverse than ever before. 8 million people, 14% of the population of England and Wales, belong to an ethnic minority group, up from 9% in 2001. London is home to 270 nationalities speaking 300 languages. Should we be doing more to support integration and avoid segregation and isolation? A new infographic, commissioned by the RGS-IBG as part
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A new map, created by geographer Oliver O’Brien, shows the incredible diversity of London, illustrating in bright colours areas of the city where more than eight per cent of the residents were born outside the UK. Oliver has created a zoomable map of the whole of the UK, using small-area statistics from the 2011 Census; the map reveals that London is
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Europe’s migration ‘crisis’ is complex and multi-faceted, whilst policy responses to date have been simplistic and founded on assumptions about migrants’ journeys and motivations for moving, rather than on evidence. Such policy responses run the risk of making the present situation, the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War, worse. Meanwhile, negative narratives on the part of
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The first group of migrants who arrived in Greece across the Mediterranean have been returned to Turkey today under a controversial policy adopted by the European Union. For each Syrian migrant returned to Turkey, the EU must take and resettle another Syrian from refugee camps who has made a legitimate request for asylum. However no Syrians have been included in
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Mark Rusling, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People in Waltham Forest, suggested that the UK is in danger of ‘sleepwalking into segregation’ at an event examining the topic of integration in British society last night at the RGS-IBG. The event, the latest in the series of ’21st Century Challenges‘ discussion meetings for public audiences, saw distinguished panellists take to
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Image: Malachy Browne (taken in the Calais ‘Jungle’) Since 2000, the UK Government has operated a policy of ‘compulsory dispersal’ of refugees, aiming to spread the burden of housing asylum seekers across the UK to discourage long-term settlement in the South East of the country and in London. Very little has been known however about whether refugees remain in the
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UK Government policies aimed at reducing the flow of migrants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to this country are likely to have a smaller effect than intended and to adversely affect the UK’s talent pool. These are among the key findings of a recent study by Dr Carlos Vargas-Silva and Dr Cinzia Rienzo from COMPAS (the University of Oxford’s Centre on
Read moreProfessor Christina Boswell will join our panel on 22nd March to discuss ‘Europe’s Migration Crisis?‘. Christina Boswell is Professor of Politics at the University of Edinburgh. She is Co-Director of the Centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy (SKAPE), and Director of Research for the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh. Her research examines the relationship
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Tuesday 15 March 2016 7.00 – 8.30pm Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Globalisation has increased the cross-border and cross-continental movement of people and ideas like never before. The UK, continuing its long history of immigration, is more culturally diverse than ever, with London alone home to 270 nationalities speaking 300 languages. Understanding how our different cultures interact is complex and
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On 22 March 2016, the RGS-IBG will hold the latest in its series of ’21st Century Challenges: Policy Forum’ discussions, considering the major environmental, social and economic challenges facing the United Kingdom now and over coming decades. The Policy Forum event will be complemented by a discussion meeting aimed at a public audience, on ‘Integrated Britain’ (15 March). Professional interest
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21st Century Challenges 