Making Birmingham an inclusive city

Commitment Two: Embrace superdiversity
Birmingham is a superdiverse city with over 187 different nationalities. Its diversity is an
asset which has not yet been realised and, without a confident approach, it could lead to
further fragmentation of communities and places. What is needed is a step change in the
way that city leaders and citizens connect and communicate, the way plans for the city
are shaped and the way that services are provided. At the moment, services are often too
generalised and not targeted based on need.
The steering group makes the following recommendations:
2.1 Ensure that institutions better reflect Birmingham’s diversity
Proactive action and an asset-based approach should be taken by civic institutions,
businesses and political organisations to reflect the increasingly diverse population of
Birmingham.
Work with the University of Birmingham to help establish the Institute for Research
into Superdiversity (IRiS) as the UK’s first facility looking at the implications,
challenges and opportunities of superdiversity. This will ensure Birmingham is at the
forefront of interdisciplinary research, education and policy advice on the globally,
nationally and locally important questions that emerge at the nexus of migration, faith,
language, ethnicity and culture.
All service providers need to make a commitment to ensure a greater responsiveness
and flexibility in their service provision - tailoring their services to meet the specific
needs of specific communities.
2.2 Develop a set of rights and responsibilities for Birmingham
To build greater social cohesion, a set of rights and responsibilities for citizens of
Birmingham should be developed in partnership with local people, reflecting life in a
21 st century super-diverse city. These should be individual rights as well as social
political and cultural rights.
These should cover public service expectations, access to work and education, and
active citizen involvement in local democracy.
2.3 Develop places of welcome and do more to support new arrivals in the city
Places of welcome should be established across the city to ensure that those who
move from one neighbourhood to another and that new arrivals into the city receive
the information, contact and assistance they need.
2.4 Support children and families in Birmingham’s newly arrived communities
Building on work by the Children’s Society, the city council should conduct in-depth
research into the causes and effects of child destitution in refugee and migrant
communities who are not eligible for support from the state.
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