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08/11/2005
Migrant workers 'important' to NI, says Minister
NIO Minister Jeff Rooker has said that migrant workers are increasingly becoming an important part of the community in Northern Ireland.
Speaking at the Equality Commission's Annual Conference on Migrant Workers on Tuesday, Mr Rooker stressed that this reflected the fact that more and more people want to work, live and in some cases, settle in Northern Ireland.
"Migrant workers are bringing skills and prosperity to our economy and new perspectives and attributes to our social mix," the Minister said. "We must work with these new participants in our society, to prepare them for our systems and structures, introduce them to our differences and integrate them in their host communities."
The Minister said that while they often made an important contribution in areas of work where there were skills gaps or limited interest in jobs by the local population, it was crucial to challenge the myths that surrounded migrant workers.
"They are not taking 'our' jobs. In fact, they make a significant contribution to both the community and the economy and many of our local companies could simply not operate without migrant workers," he added.
Finally, the Minister praised the Equality Commission for their tireless work in the field and for organising the conference, saying that it was essential to have an honest and robust debate on how we might respond to the challenges.
"This conference will make a useful contribution to this," he concluded.
(MB/SP)
Speaking at the Equality Commission's Annual Conference on Migrant Workers on Tuesday, Mr Rooker stressed that this reflected the fact that more and more people want to work, live and in some cases, settle in Northern Ireland.
"Migrant workers are bringing skills and prosperity to our economy and new perspectives and attributes to our social mix," the Minister said. "We must work with these new participants in our society, to prepare them for our systems and structures, introduce them to our differences and integrate them in their host communities."
The Minister said that while they often made an important contribution in areas of work where there were skills gaps or limited interest in jobs by the local population, it was crucial to challenge the myths that surrounded migrant workers.
"They are not taking 'our' jobs. In fact, they make a significant contribution to both the community and the economy and many of our local companies could simply not operate without migrant workers," he added.
Finally, the Minister praised the Equality Commission for their tireless work in the field and for organising the conference, saying that it was essential to have an honest and robust debate on how we might respond to the challenges.
"This conference will make a useful contribution to this," he concluded.
(MB/SP)
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