Migrant Access Project

Migrant Access Project, Leeds, UK - © City of Leeds
- © City of Leeds
Migrant Access Project, Leeds, UK - © City of Leeds
- © City of Leeds
Migrant Access Project, Leeds, UK - © City of Leeds
- © City of Leeds

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Migrant Access Project

Status

ongoing

City

Leeds

Main actors

Local Government, NGO / Philanthropy, Community / Citizen Group

Project area

Whole City/Administrative Region

Duration

Ongoing since 2010

A citizen-led initiative to build relationships between newly arrived migrants and service providers.

The City of Leeds has harnessed the strengths of migrant communities to help growing numbers of new arrivals, fleeing war or looking for a better life, settle into the city. The city’s belief is that a citizen-led approach would enable communities, in the first instance, to identify their unique needs, and to develop and implement their own solutions to address those needs. This approach would also mean the city itself could benefit from the more appropriate use of existing services, the creation of additional and more relevant services, better-informed and more employable new citizens and the establishment of more cohesive and productive communities.

The Migrant Access Project is a way for those who have already made links in Leeds to help others. It aims to reduce pressure on highly impacted services. It does so by raising awareness among new arrivals of how the system works, and by helping them put down roots through strengthened relations with existing settled communities.

Originally published by EUROCITIES, the network of 130 European cities - PDF: http://nws.eurocities.eu/MediaShell/media/2016%20Awards_Cities%20in%20action_Leeds.pdf

For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

Eurocities Awards

This project was awarded the 'Eurocities Awards' in 2016 in the following category: Participation.

Learn more

City

Leeds, United Kingdom

Size and population development

At the 2011 UK census, Leeds had a total population of 751,500, representing a 5% growth since the last census of 2001. Of the 320,600 households in Leeds, 33.3% were married couples living together, 31.6% were one-person households, 9.0% were co-habiting couples and 9.8% were lone parents. The population density was 1,967/km2 (5,090/sq mi).

Population composition

Leeds is a diverse city with over 75 ethnic groups, and with minority ethnic populations representing just under 11.6% of the total population. According to figures from the 2011 census, 85.0% of the population was White (81.1% White British, 0.9% White Irish, 0.1% Gypsy or Irish Traveller, 2.9% Other White), 2.7% of mixed race (1.2% White and Black Caribbean, 0.3% White and Black African, 0.7% White and Asian, 0.5% Other Mixed), 7.7% Asian (2.1% Indian, 3.0% Pakistani, 0.6% Bangladeshi, 0.8% Chinese, 1.2% Other Asian), 3.5% Black (2.0% African, 0.9% Caribbean, 0.6% Other Black), 0.5% Arab and 0.6% of other ethnic heritage.

Main functions

Leeds is the second largest regional city in the UK and recognized as the regional capital of the Yorkshire and Humber region. Leeds has the second largest employment total outside London, with 1.9million in the local workforce, a business base of over 106,000 companies and over 110,000 people commuting to work from outside the district every day. Leeds is a member of Core Cities Group, a coalition of England's major regional cities which work in partnership to enhance their economic performances, and to secure positive identities as places to live, work, visit and conduct business. Key priorities are: Transport and connectivity Innovation and business support skills and employment, sustainable communities, culture and creative industries, climate change, finance and industry, governance.

Main industries / business

Financial and business services, electronics and optical, communications, health and public services, digital and media, bioscience and medical research, manufacturing

Sources for city budget

National Government and taxation revenue

Political structure

The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It the second largest local government district in England by population and the second largest metropolitan district by area.

Administrative structure

Leeds City Council is the local authority of the district. The council is composed of 99 councillors, three for each of the city's wards. Elections are held three years out of four, on the first Thursday of May. One third of the councillors are elected, for a four-year term, in each election.

Website

http://www.leeds.gov.uk