Ref. 25622-49Queues of immigrant workers outside employment agencies have grown in recently. That's because foreign workers are stepping in to fill gaps in the labour market especially people from the Indian holiday destination of Goa. Bhavani Vadde spoke to three of them who have swapped more tropical climes for Swindon.

A TWIST in colonial history has meant that the Goan community in Swindon has burgeoned in the last three or four years.

Unlike the rest of India, Goa was a Portuguese colony for 500 years and remained so until 1961 even though the rest of the country gained independence from British rule in 1947.

Goans still have a right to Portuguese nationality which enables them to live and work anywhere in the European Union.

And there are a number of reasons why they choose to come to Britain instead of Portugal and Swindon in particular.

Firstly, the younger generation of Goans can't speak Portuguese but are fluent in English. That's because Goan schools switched to teaching English as a second language instead of Portuguese after the state was liberated.

Secondly, employment agencies in the town say Goans are willing to undertake low skilled and often lower paid work that many local people are unwilling to do.

Four years ago there were around 50 people from India's richest state in the town and that has now grown to around 1,000. They work directly and through agencies for a variety if companies in and around Swindon including Honda, WH Smith, Swindon Distribution Centre, Faccenda in Sutton Benger and Uniq Prepared Foods in Devizes, as well as in banks and as teachers.

Santana Souza, 43, president of the Goan Association, came to Swindon four years ago after initially working in London. He now works for Swindon Pressings.

He said: "When people heard there were plenty of job opportunities, the Goan population here started to grow.

"When you come straight from India then you have to go somewhere where you know somebody so you feel safe.

"People have also been joined by their families so that is another reason why it has grown.

"But I think the majority will go back to Goa."

Mr Souza lives with his wife Cimilda, 35, and his five year-old twins Spirlea and Shannon who attend Drove Primary School.

Tomas Cardoso, 57, the association's secretary, also works for Swindon Press-ings.

He said: "I am employed by an agency so I am not on a fixed contract. There is once or twice a year when there is no work and I get a break.

"We can go anywhere in Europe and there are people in France and other countries but they do jobs where they don't need the language.

"And work here is better paid than in Portugal and in India." The association's treasurer Jose Fernandes, 34, is Mr Souza's cousin. He was an accounts auditor but now takes on work as a packer in a warehouse.

He said: "When I first came, I tried getting a position in accounts but I didn't have much luck.

"I am planning to do a college course and after that I might find a position in accounts."

The Goan Association provides a support for newcomers and organises social events such as dances and sports activities.

The official language of Goa is konkani and once a month a konkani mass is held at the Holy Rood Church and 300 people attend regularly

Jaginder Bassi, from the Race equality Council, said: "This is not a new situation in respect to migration patterns. Wherever there are labour shortages then immigrants from other parts of the world have always plugged the gap.

"These days there are strict quotas for the number of people who can come here on work permits. It is much more regulated than it used to be unless it is for a category where we have a shortage such as nurses, doctors or teachers.

"But the Goan population in Swindon are EU citizens exercising their right to free movement.

"There is a shortage of labour in Swindon and they are coming to do low skilled and low paid jobs."

A number of employment agencies based in Commercial Road recruit overseas workers.

The agencies often provide transport for the workers, which is why they are seen daily queuing outside the premises.

Mike Little, director of Storm Recruitment, said that his company provides workers for Faccenda, a company supplying poultry to major supermarkets.

And Storm has also recently won a three-year contract to supply around 100 workers a day to pack sandwiches at Uniq Prepared Foods in Devizes.

He said: "These companies are doing well so we are doing well. Word spreads and often overseas workers will do work the young Europeans won't

"It's to do with culture. If you ask an 18-year-old European to stand at a line all day they wouldn't do it.

"It is boring repetitive work but the Goans have a different work ethic, they will do this sort of work."

As well as Goans, the agency also employs Malaysian, Italians, Spanish and Brazilians who all have the right documents or the right to work here.

Duncan Elliott, training and development manage,r said: "The reason why there are queues outside is because Swindon is a booming town and we have some quite big clients.

"We do not ask people where they are from, as long as they are entitled to work here and have the right skills and experience to fit the work."