Migrant business: the rise of new migrant business in Britain and beyond

Drawing on the experiences of the United Kingdom (UK), we explore how changes in the origins and qualities of migrant entrepreneurs in Europe have not been mirrored by changes in their enterprises' performance. We examine historical continuities, theoretical interpretations, and identify research gaps. A key theme is entrepreneurial segregation, the exclusion of immigrant-origin businesses from the most lucrative market prospects, another way racialized incomers are denied full entry to their adoptive countries. This division occurs regardless of ethnicity, overriding the belief that ethnic social capital drives ethnic minority business. But institutional limits are rarely absolute, and better-resourced entrepreneurs have more access to opportunities than the under-resourced majority. This distinction is one of the defining traits of old and new immigrant migrant business economy. The lightly regulated Anglo sphere seems more conducive to migrant-origin enterprise than Rhineland zone, but further systematic cross-border comparative surveys are required to advance the field.