* More than 800 migrant workers from eastern Europe have already registered themselves as homeless in Scotland.
The first study to examine the issue of homelessness among "A8 migrants" - those workers from the newest countries to join the European Union - has found that many are living in cramped and overcrowded conditions. As many migrant workers live in tied accommodation, they are more vulnerable to becoming homeless if they lose their job.
The Scottish Council for Single Homeless (SCSH), which carried out the research, has called for the Scottish Executive to provide local authorities with clearer guidance on how to handle homeless applications from migrants and to clear up much of the confusion surrounding their legal duties.
The SCSH survey shows that between February 2005 and 2006 more than 800 migrant workers from the A8 states - the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia - made homeless applications to local authorities in Scotland.
Of the total of 50,058 homeless applications received over the period, 833 came from migrant workers, which is about 1.6% of all applications.
The highest proportion of applications from A8 migrants was to be found in the area that includes Moray, Aberdeenshire, Dundee and Angus councils. Just 172 migrant workers applied for assistance in this region, but they made up 3.26% of all applications.
In the opposite corner of the country, in the region that includes Dumfries and Galloway, and North, South and East Ayrshire councils, just 0.69% of applications for assistance with homelessness were from migrant workers.
The survey found that the migrant worker most likely to find himself homeless is male, Polish and of working age.
The problem of homeless A8 migrants in Scotland first emerged last summer, according to the SCSH. As increasing numbers found themselves homeless the SCSH began receiving approaches from local authorities for advice.
In particular, councils were seeking advice on exactly what their duties to provide housing assistance to this group were. Although local authorities do have a duty to house and provide assistance to homeless A8 migrants, 24 of Scotland's 32 councils said they had experienced obstacles in trying to do so.
Councils have not been able to get access to housing benefit entitlement from central government to house homeless migrant workers, and therefore have been left to pay the costs themselves.
The overwhelming majority of councils, 22 of 32, said the guidance from the executive should be amended to make it simpler and spell out more clearly exactly what their obligations are to these migrants.
Robert Aldridge, director of the SCSH, said: "Our report shows that A8 migrants are often in precarious housing conditions where their house is tied to their job.
"If you lose your job you can lose your home. If they do become homeless there is a confusing and complicated set of regulations which determine whether they can get all the help they need."
A law passed in 2003 means that by 2012 every unintentionally homeless person will have a right to a home.
Mr Aldridge added: "Scotland's local authorities are working well to meet the challenges that this target presents. Migrants are a new factor which, while manageable, needs to be addressed.
"The report makes a series of recommendations for the executive, the Department of Work and Pensions, local authorities, and calls for further research."
A spokesman for the executive said: "We know that some councils are facing challenges in providing accommodation and assistance to homeless A8 nationals. We are in discussion with them to clarify any problems they have.
"This is a new issue and we have changed our statistical collection to gain a better understanding of homelessness among non-UK nationals. This will come into effect next year.
"Our code of guidance sets out the current position regarding Scottish local authorities' duties to A8 nationals.
"Policy and guidance on benefit entitlements is reserved to Westminster, but we are currently liaising with Whitehall departments on this issue."
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