����ý

Poland joined the European Union (EU) in April 2004. The EU allows free movement of labour (migration) between its member countries. The Government estimates that since Poland joined the EU in 2004, almost 1,000,000 Polish immigrants now live in the UK.

Reasons

Push factors

• Unemployment in Poland was almost 20 per cent in 2004.
• Incomes were four times lower in Poland than in the UK.

Pull factors

• Desire to experience life abroad and to learn the English language.
• Job vacancies in the UK - especially in leisure, construction, and farming.

Impact on the UK

Benefits

• Brings a wide range of skills.
• Contributes to economic growth by an estimated £2.5 billion every year.
• 80 per cent of migrants are between the ages of 18 and 35, offsetting the UK's ageing population.

Concerns

• Tensions between the migrants and the local population.
• Majority of migrants are men aged 18-34.
• Schools, hospitals and other services are put under pressure.
• Property prices increase, due to an increase in demand for accommodation.
• Money is sent out of the country, back to Poland.

Recent development 1

In June 2016 the UK voted to leave the European Union in what is now referred to as Brexit. Some media reports suggest that many Polish people are now starting to move back to Poland as they fear they will not be able to stay in the UK. One report in The Sun newspaper suggested that up to 200,000 of the 1 million Poles living in the UK are now heading back to Poland, and this is having a positive effect on the Polish urban areas in what were once declining towns.

Remember that this story may be biased or inaccurate. The Sun newspaper report is based on a journalist’s findings and not necessarily on official data.

Recent development 2

In June 2017 official figures released from the NHS show that there has been a 96 per cent reduction in the number of nurses from the EU applying to work in the UK since the Brexit vote. Figures collated by the Nursing & Midwifery Council show that the number of new applicants from the EU fell from 1,304 in July 2016 to just 46 in April 2017.

When dealing with reports and statistics like those presented here, pupils must understand that different sources suggest various things which may or may not be true.