Britain develops a taste for all things Polish

A Polish babysitter takes care of my own children, my neighbours in London have had a roof truss made in Poland and everyone working in the coffee shop around the corner is Polish.

Surely it was just a matter of time before Queen Elizabeth 11 would serve food to her guests prepared by a Polish catering company.

In the two-and-a-quarter years since Poland joined the European Union, Britain has become the number one destination for Polish immigrants.

According to official statistics, 228,000 Poles have applied for a work permit in Britain. The experts estimate however that anything between 350,000 and 750,000 Poles now live in Britain. The Polish news magazine Polityka puts estimates as high as a million.

For 'Anglia', as England is known in Polish, it represents the greatest wave of immigrants from a single country since the flight of the Huguenots from France in the 17th century.

According to Demographics Professor David Coleman of the University of Oxford, 'this is the largest stream of people we have ever had in such a short space of time.'

The liberal British daily newspaper The Guardian talks of a 'Polish invasion.'

It certainly looks like Britain is set only to gain from the fact that in May 2004 it was one of the three older EU states (along with Ireland and Sweden) to open its labour market to migrants from the new member countries.

Sectors such as construction and catering would not thrive nearly as much without the cheap labour. In general, the Poles are perceived as friendly, reliable, punctual and well-qualified. In this context, any minor misunderstandings that arise can be easily overlooked.

Despite the new competition from the East, the unemployment rate in Britain is still less than half of that in other EU countries that closed off their labour markets.

Also the fact that so many young people - 83 per cent of the Polish newcomers to Britain are under 34 - has a positive effect on the country's demographic profile.

Even if the unions are put out by 'wage dumping', most experts agree that the new wave of immigration will prove very valuable. Particularly as the cliche of cheap Polish tradesman - 'Pavel the plumber' - is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Many Poles are getting better jobs. Around 40,000 have founded their own companies. Barclays Bank in London now has a Polish employee responsible for ensuring that her compatriots receive a smooth introduction to their working lives at the bank.

The success story of Kamila Wisniewska-Galka is a favourite among Poles. The former Miss Poland now owns her own catering business, at the weekend her food was served at a polo event hosted by Queen Elizabeth.

According to Wisniewska-Galka, the company had already catered for 50 events hosted by the queen. 'I have seen the queen more often than the other royals have,' the proud entrepreneur said.

In common with many Poles living in Britain, Wisniewska-Galka is not considering a return to her homeland.

'Why in heaven's name should I?' said Rafal Stanzak, who works as a bus driver in London. 'Here I earn four times as much as at home and the cost of living is only twice as high.'

Source:news.monstersandcritics.com