Arrival Infrastructures and Migrant Newcomers in European Cities: Interviews with Newcomers, 2021-2023

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Urban areas with a long history of immigration, known as ‘arrival areas,’ provide a variety of resources for newcomers through what is termed ‘arrival infrastructures.’ Arrival infrastructures can be described as concentrations of actors, institutions and organisations which facilitate migrant arrival. They can be specifically targeted to newcomers or form part of a broader social infrastructure ecosystem that fosters wellbeing and community integration among all residents. This data encapsulates findings from a three-year research project titled Arrival Infrastructures and Migrant Newcomers in European Cities (AIMEC). The AIMEC project studied migrant arrival and settlement processes in London (UK), Brussels (Belgium), and Dortmund (Germany), examining how newcomers in these cities obtain settlement information and how long-established residents support them. Through qualitative, ethnographic research including interviews and participant observation, and engagement with local stakeholders through volunteering, the research engaged with recently arrived residents and those providing support to them. This included individuals in both institutional and everyday settings, including public spaces, local businesses, civil society organisations, and state-funded institutions. While primary data cannot be shared due to ethical concerns, summaries of interviews are available. Key findings of the project include: Challenges on arrival - key challenges faced by participants upon arrival included: • Difficulties in accessing information about resources such as affordable housing and legal status, navigating a complex web of organizations and intermediaries. • Limited awareness of their rights to welfare support, leading to non-engagement with services. • Low digital literacy that hinders access to essential information despite efforts by local organizations to provide digital support. • Long waiting times for legal status applications that create uncertainty, preventing newcomers from planning for the future and impacting their mental wellbeing. • No access to state welfare that prevents people from accessing welfare benefits. Those who are not permitted to work therefore tend to depend on peer networks and informal social infrastructures for support. • Difficulties in finding services due to language and digital barriers and the limited visibility of services in public space. Supportive infrastructures - newcomers access a variety of support infrastructures: • Commercial spaces serve as crucial social support hubs. Local business owners often act as 'arrival brokers,' providing information about essential services such as housing, employment, and healthcare. For instance, shopkeepers, pharmacists, and restaurant owners often offer guidance and support, creating informal networks that assist newcomers in navigating their new environment. • State-funded infrastructures, though less pervasive, also play a vital role. Public institutions like libraries and primary schools offer resources such as language classes and citizenship courses. • Civil society organisations and religious spaces complement these efforts by offering a wide range of services, including foodbanks, legal advice, language classes, and mental health support. Despite their crucial role, these organisations often struggle with capacity issues due to limited funding and rely to an extent on the dedication of individuals who go ‘above and beyond’ their role to provide support. While formal channels – that is, institutionalised support structures with an explicit support function – are commonly presumed to be the primary sources of settlement assistance, our findings underscore the crucial role of informal support, often provided by longer established migrant residents who share their local knowledge or ‘arrival expertise.’ The role of individuals in arrival infrastructures- individual efforts within the local support ecosystem play an important role in extending the capacity of arrival infrastructures, developing them, and unlocking access through advice and handholding. • Role of Individuals: Individuals, such as staff members, volunteers, and community workers, play a crucial role in arrival infrastructures by acting as brokers who facilitate connections and support newcomers in adapting to their new environment. • Personal Efforts: Despite limited funding, arrival infrastructures continue to support newcomers largely due to the extra efforts of individuals who go beyond their official roles to assist and guide them. • Newcomers as Active Participants: Newcomers are not just passive recipients but active contributors to the social infrastructure ecosystem. They connect different spaces, contribute to the development of infrastructures, and help others in the arrival process.

One of the big issues European societies face is the immigration of an increasing number of migrants from various parts of the world. While European states grapple with the management of immigration flows, the challenge faced on the ground is, in fact, the challenge of migrant inclusion and exclusion. Our established paradigms for examining immigration assume that migrants settle in areas populated by white national majorities, or that they join their co-ethnics in so called 'ethnic neighbourhoods'. However, today, new migrants often move into super-diverse places which are settled by previous migrants of various backgrounds. Such areas have also been described as 'arrival neighbourhoods' which have seen long histories of immigration. Although there is a wide-reaching policy and research agenda concerning migrant integration, little is known about the role of long-established migrants regarding newcomers' settlement. They have received scant policy attention and there is minimal empirical evidence on what incoming migrants do when they first arrive and how they find support. The project asks what factors facilitate the settlement and social mobility of newcomers in such arrival areas. It draws on the notion of arrival infrastructures, constituting a concentration of actors, institutions, and organisations which facilitate arrival, and putting the spotlight on the special role played by long-established migrants. What kind of support do long established migrants provide to newcomers? To what extent are particular constellations of AIs crucial for newcomers? Or are there forms of exploitation, for example by providing substandard housing or lowly paid jobs? The project will break new ground in integration theory by moving beyond ideas of 'mainstream society' to which newcomers should adapt, and by putting the spotlight on a wide range of actors in the receiving society, rather than just on migrants. Through a comparison of arrival areas in Dortmund, Brussels, and London, the project will contribute crucial new knowledge about current processes of migrant settlement. It will: - Map formal and informal infrastructural sites in each neighbourhood, ranging from ethnic businesses, to civil society organisations and religious sites. Face-to face surveys, questionnaires and interviews with individuals working in these sites will assess their role in supporting newcomers. - Assess the role of these sites from the point of view of newcomers by undertaking in-depth interviews and walk-along participant observation with migrants. - Assess the role of differing immigration, integration and welfare regimes in each site, including existing forms of inequality in shaping AIs and the ability of long-established migrants to support newcomers. The project will examine a range of AIs indifferent realms: - Public spaces: Squares, transport hubs, markets, parks, playgrounds, etc. - Businesses: Small enterprises, launderettes, Internet cafés, hairdressers, nail salons, newsagents, mobile phone shops, money transfer agencies, cafes, restaurants, etc. - Civil Society: Community organisations, religious sites, NGOs, language classes, food banks, sports clubs, etc. - State: Libraries, citizen's advice, health services, language classes, etc. The project will deliver economic and societal impact by providing new knowledge on migrants' settlement strategies and the role of long-established migrants. It is often assumed that assistance for settlement comes through formal channels, agencies and programmes, and councils often lack knowledge on the informal channels through which newcomers find settlement information. By providing in-depth information of settlement processes and the role of AIs, the project will create an authoritative evidence base for joined-up policy formulation with respect to migrant settlement. In doing so, the project will help to increase the effectiveness of public services and enhance the newcomers' quality of life.