Abstract
Purpose- This research investigates whether relocating European Union (EU) Bangladeshi ethnic minorities (BEMs) to the UK is either a blessing or a burden to the UK economy.
Design/methodology/approach- The authors conducted face-to-face semi-in-depth interviews with 20 Bangladeshi ethnic minorities of the EU in London from September 2023 to December 2023. The thematic analysis technique was applied to the interview scripts to identify the themes of either a blessing or a burden of EU Bangladeshi ethnic minorities’ relocation to the UK economy.
Findings- Despite the new English environment and culture for BEMs, 85% have started jobs, and 15% have a new business in the UK. Only 25% depend on social security benefits (SSB) due to the financial crisis and their inability to manage living costs. Some 95% are not a burden to the UK economy, and 100% believe that they are a blessing to the UK economy as they created new employment opportunities through new business, pay taxes, and NI regularly. The key findings show the EU Bangladeshi ethnic minorities came to the UK to (a) offspring studies in British institutions and build future careers motivated relocation to the UK, (b) become the human capital of the EU Bangladeshi ethnic minority’s generation in the UK, (c) a distinctive working life in the EU, rather than the UK, and (d) ‘we are not a burden; we are a blessing’ to the UK economy.
Originality/value- The results indicate that the EU Bangladeshi ethnic minorities are not a burden to the UK economy. They have started to opt out of social security support; they are working, and the next generation will become professional job holders who positively impact the UK economy.