Migrant Mothers. All rights reserved.Every quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes its statistics on migration and population development in the UK. In a document released on 29 October 2015, the ONS explained the complex ways in which migration affects population numbers in the UK, directly through immigration and emigration and indirectly through the births and deaths of both these groups. This report does not quantify all the effects of migration on UK population numbers, but a key finding is that in 2014 non-UK born mothers had 188,000 children, that is 27% of births in England and Wales.
But we have known little about the mothers who bring up this future generation of UK citizens. However, our recent study funded by the Arts and Humanities Research investigates their experiences. It explores how migrant mothers have made a place for themselves and their children in a society which does not always welcome them.
Moreover, the research identified how migrant mothers make a significant contribution to UK society, benefiting society through their mothering and caring work. These mothers, many of whom are economically active and of childbearing age, counteract the UK’s demographic ageing profile. They enhance the country’s economic potential and their cultural diversity can contribute to developing a future citizenry more comfortable with culturally and ethnically plural identities.
