The Polish exodus from the UK

Inside Europe | 15.11.2008 | 07:05

The Polish exodus from the UK

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Britain will miss the skills of Polish tradesmen

Up to one million Poles flooded the British Isles when the UK and Ireland decided to allow in migrant workers from the new EU member states back in 2004. But four years on and the Poles are heading home.

Britain is facing a financial crisis fuelled by the global credit crunch while the Polish economy has gathered pace, partly owing to the money sent home by migrant workers. These two factors have helped turn the tide of Polish job migration. It’s estimated that around 50 per cent of Poles working in the UK and Ireland have now left.

Reporter Rafal Kiepuszewski