This report covers the difficulties that immigrants
coming to Northern Ireland face when trying to access vital services.
The 1990s saw Northern Ireland becoming much more diverse
than it used to be. By 1998, there were 19,000 people from different ethnic
backgrounds living in the country. Many people didn't speak English as a first
language. The language barrier meant that children were missing out on health
check-ups and initiatives. The Health department and various other service
providers aimed to address these problems through closer collaboration with
community groups.
Here, prominent
Northern Irish politician Anna Lo speaks about the challenges that Chinese
immigrants face when arriving for the first time, and about attempts to
integrate newcomers into the country.