Research into Position of Poles Marks Launch of New Centre for Rights, Equality and Diversity

A new research for Centre for Rights, Equality and Diversity is being launched at the University of Warwick on the evening of Thursday 24th May by University of Warwick Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Thrift and leading equality figures: Kay Hampton, Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality and Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, Head of Research and Data Collection at the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights – but the Centre has already produced its first preliminary report on a its ongoing study of the perilous position of Polish migrants to the UK.

That preliminary report by Centre for Rights, Equality and Diversity researcher Dr Teresa Staniewicz will be presented at the Centre’s launch that finds that:·

There are wage Differentials of up to 30% in England and 45% in Ireland from native workers pay

That Many Poles are having to take courses at their own expense as there is a failure to recognise the qualifications and training they already have

That Local authorities reliance on GP records to identify changes in population is resulting in an underreporting of male Polish migrants as many male polish migrants often leave health treatment to the very last minute and thus tend more often to end up in emergency hospital services rather than a GP
The new Centre will generate high quality research in two interrelated areas: processes that deny citizens equal treatment and fundamental human rights (such as racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism), and problems undermining ‘social/community cohesion’ resulting from tensions and conflict within and between ethnic and faith communities.

The new Centre’s Director Professor Peter Ratcliffe said: "The need for a research Centre for Rights, Equality and Diversity has never been greater. This is a time of massive change in global politics generating rapidly increasing levels of international migration. The sheer diversity and volume of these migration flows is creating new sets of challenges for receiving societies. Also at a European level, migration from outside EU borders has now been complemented by increasing rates of internal movement linked to the expansion of the borders themselves through new accession countries.”
The launch event starts at 5.15pm (for 5.30pm) on Thursday 24th May 2007 in the University’s Ramphal Building.