Cramped housing conditions with high fire risks have become one of the key concerns of councils with growing immigrant populations, according to today’s surveys.

The report argues that many landlords are exploiting new migrant communities by allowing them to live in dangerously crowded homes in a state of disrepair.

In other cases these workers are living in cramped accommodation provided by their employers but sometimes they are subletting their own rooms to gain extra cash. Fire services are frequently being called out to multiple-occupany houses where families are crammed into one or two rooms with poor facilities.

“Many of the properties lack fire precautions and adequate facilities for washing and drying clothes,” Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is reported as saying. “Fires have been caused by drying clothes in front of gas fires that have been left unattended, smoking, alcohol and arson committed by people who have negative attitudes towards new migrants,” said the report.

The Fire Service has developed an action plan, with fire-safety leaflets in Polish, basic Polish classes for firefighters and the appointment of a Polish community fire-safety co-ordinator.

In parts of Hull and East Riding, immigrant workers are concentrated in multiple-occupancy housing. Here, landlords are reportedly letting whole properties to employment agencies, which then sublet them to excessive numbers of migrants. “It was not clear whether migrant workers tolerate overcrowding as a temporary incoven-ience that reduces their housing costs or whether they do not know how to complain or are fearful of the consequences of doing so,” the report said.

Social tensions between and against migrants have also been surfacing in many areas. In Cherwell, near Oxford, the Polish community claims that it is being discriminated against at work and socially. “There have been several incidents where road accidents have sparked off tension in community relations between the Poles, the Pakistani heritage community and travellers, in which Poles and Polish workers were targeted,” the study reported.

In Ealing, West London, a growing Somali population is also finding it difficult to integrate and has experienced “extreme levels of racial violence” directed by the white community. “A significant factor in creating the tension was the perception that the Somali community was exploiting or capitalising upon their refugee status, taking up scarce resources such has housing, benefits and other social care,” the study said.

In Hull and East Riding, local people have complained that Polish workers are monopolising computers at the local library and failing to use refuse collections properly. Residents are also concerned that in the longer term migrant workers may do better economically than local employees.

Health and education services are also under pressure, the study shows. In Bristol, the influx of Polish families has put more pressure on schools and the need for English lessons and translators. In Hull and East Riding there had been a surplus of school places but there are already difficulties in finding in-year places.

In Ealing, language problems are affecting social services. The council must care for unaccompanied minors but this has extensive cost implications, with foster care costing up to £900 a week. “In addition where they may be refugees and experienced trau-ma and some form of exploitation they may need intensive support at high cost. Many are very vulnerable and require specialist placements.”

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