Polish Britons
Notable Polish Britons: Joseph Conrad, Leopold Stokowski, David Miliband, Mark Lazarowicz, Zygmunt Bauman, Bonnie Prince Charlie
Total population
Est. over 750,000[1] 1.24% of the UK population
Regions with significant populations
Throughout the United Kingdom
Languages
English, Polish, Yiddish (mostly in the past)
Religions
Christianity (Roman Catholic, Orthodox), Judaism.

British Poles or Polish Britons are people of Polish origin who were born in or emigrated to the United Kingdom.

History

A 'Polish minority in United Kingdom' has existed since as early as the 16th century. A significant number of Poles settled in the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the Second World War. After Poland joined the European Union in May 2004, many young Poles temporarily moved to UK which offered good opportunity for work.

Polish people have travelled to England and other parts of the United Kingdom throughout the centuries for a variety of reasons. In the 16th century Polish travellers came as traders and diplomats. In the 18th century a small number of Polish Protestants arrived as religious refugees due to the counter reformation in Poland. In the 19th century, due to the collapse of the November Uprising of 1831, many Polish fighters came to Britain in search of sanctuary.

However, it was only after the First World War that Poles settled in large numbers in London Рmany from the London Polish Prisoner of War camps in Alexandra Palace and Feltham. During the Second World War the majority of the Poles came to the United Kingdom as political emigr̩s. In 1940, with the fall of France, the exiled Polish President, Prime Minister and government transferred to London, along with at least 20,000 soldiers. Many other Poles based themselves in other parts of the United Kingdom and in practice London became the nerve centre and military headquarters of the Polish liberation movement.

When the Second World War ended, a Communist government was installed in Poland. Most Poles felt betrayed by their wartime allies and were extremely reluctant to return home. Many Polish soldiers refused to return to Poland, because of the post-war persecution of many Poles, particularly of former members of the AK (Armia Krajowa - The Polish Home Army, the main form of wartime anti-Nazi and anti-Soviet resistance), and large numbers, after occupying resettlement camps of the Polish Resettlement Corps, later settled in London. A significant number of Poles were professionals (lawyers, judges, engineers), yet only doctors and pharmacists had their qualifications recognised. As a result the majority of Poles worked in building and construction, coal mining and other forms of manual labour, as well as in the hospitality industry. However, the Poles were very entrepreneurial and set up a number of businesses such as clock, watch and shoe repairs – many of which are still operating today.

The relaxation of travel restrictions to and from Poland saw a steady increase in Polish migration to the United Kingdom in the 1950s. Brixton, Earls Court and Lewisham were a few of the London areas where they settled. As these communities grew, it was felt by the Polish Catholic hierarchy and the English and Scottish hierarchies (the majority of whom were Irish) that Polish priests should settle and minister specifically to the spiritual needs of the Polish people. The first such parish was Brockley-Lewisham in 1951 and today there are 10 Polish parishes in London, in places such as Balham and Ealing.

The Polish Government in London was not dissolved until 1991, when a freely elected president took office in Warsaw. The Polish people fought hard to combat communism, and for their right to liberty. Previously a base to fight against the communist regime in Poland, London came to be seen as an important centre to foster business and political relations.

Population and Distribution

The main hub of the London Polish community is Hammersmith in West London, as well as Ealing, Enfield and Haringey. The activities revolve around the Polish Social and Cultural Centre (POSK) on King Street. Polish newspapers and food shops are increasingly apparent following Poland's entry into the European Union in May 2004. Poles have in the London Borough of Ealing Council two representatives: Councillors Barbara Yerolemou nee Czarniecka and Joanna Dabrowska (both conservative).

There are also Polish communities outside London. Poles have also settled in Bolton, Bury and Chorley in Greater Manchester. There is a long established Polish community in Bristol and there are also concentrations in Nottingham, South Yorkshire, South Wales, Rugby, Banbury, Luton and Swindon. Scotland has seen a significant influx of Polish immigrants with estimates of Poles currently living in Scotland ranging from 40,000 up to 100,000 ^[2], with around 5,000 in the Highlands region. This has led to the creation of a bilingual English-Polish newspaper ^[3].

Carlisle in Cumbria, which is twinned with the Polish city of Slupsk, has a Polish population of over 1,600^[4].

Blackpool has about 5,000 immigrants living in and around the resort on the Fylde coast, mostly from Poland, and the local newspaper is one of a handful of British newspapers to have its own online edition in Polish, Witryna Polska .^[5]

Recent economic migration

Since the expansion of the EU on 1 May 2004, the UK has granted free movement to workers from the new member states. There are restrictions on the benefits that members of eight of these accession countries can claim, which are covered by the Worker Registration Scheme.^[6] Most of the other European Union member states have exercised their right for temporary immigration control (which must end by 2011^[7]) over entrants from these accession states,^[8] although some are now removing these restrictions.^[9]

The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the number of applications to the Worker Registration Scheme. Figures published in August 2007 indicate that 656,395 people were accepted on to the scheme between 1 May 2004 and 31 June 2007, of whom 430,395 were Polish nationals.^[10]

This figure of 430,395 represents the lowest limit of Polish immigration since 2001, because the Worker Registration Scheme is an entirely opt-in system, and many Poles don't bother with it as it costs time and money and isn't enforced. Immigrant Polish workers are expected by the Home Office to voluntarily apply for the Worker Registration Scheme form, fill it out and pay a fee. Instead, many Poles save time and money by simply going to a Job Centre to apply for a National Insurance Number, with which they can legally apply for work in the UK. British employers invariably ask for a National Insurance Number rather than Worker Registration Scheme documentation. There is no evidence of Poles being punished for not applying to the Worker Registration Scheme, nor are there any examples in the public domain of police or immigration officials giving warnings to Polish workers who they know are not on the Scheme. Furthermore, self-employed workers and people who are not working (including students) are not required to register under the Scheme. Some estimates say that only around half the Poles working in the UK are on the Scheme, suggesting a more realistic figure for their number to be around 860,000, and the Scheme itself is no realistic measure of Polish immigration.

The figure of 430,395 does not indicate the number of immigrants who have since returned home, but 56 per cent of applicants in the 12 months ending 30 June 2007 reported planning to stay for a maximum of three months. Figures for total immigration show that there was a net inflow of 64,000 people from the eight Central and Eastern European accession states in 2005, with 49,000 Poles arriving with the intention of staying in the UK for a year or more.^[11] An investigation by more4 found that Poles currently represent a substantial proportion of the population of some UK cities.^[12]

Some commentators say the Polish immigration since 2001 is the biggest wave of immigration in the history of the United Kingdom. Public opinion surveys show that a minority of Bitish people are opposed to Polish immigration (particulalry self-employed tradesmen such as builders and plumbers, and residents of cities with the highest proportion of immigrant Poles, such as Southampton). The phenomenon has been characterised by good relations between Poles and Britons. Most Britons hold the opinion that Poles have a generally positive effect on the British economy.

Poles migrating to the UK for work tend to be young, and take jobs where Britons are often reluctant to work: in restaurants, hotels, high-street stores, factories, agriculture, food processing and construction. Back in Poland the exodus is causing some concern for Polish politicians. The Polish magazine Polityka has launched a 'Stay With Us' scheme offering young academics a £5,000 bonus to encourage them to stay at home. The right-wing Law and Justice party, meanwhile, has questioned the patriotism of those Poles who leave.

Notable Polish Britons

Joseph Conrad, novelist Henryk Gotlib, leading expressionist painter Waldemar Januszczak, art critic

David Miliband, Labour MP Kazia Pelka, actress Peter Serafinowicz, comedian

External links

• Reassessing what we collect website – Polish London History of Polish London with objects and images

References