 Polish Workers Flock to UK Edges is grateful to to UBFS for permission to publish this article. Karolina Sobkowicz Polish people have been flocking over in their droves all summer. But what's it meant for Karolina Sobkowicz, a Polish student studying in Bristol? I stand in the kitchen looking out of the window and consider what I've achieved in the last 3 years. How did my home country, Poland, joining the EU affect my life, as well as that of thousands of other young Poles? I came to Britain 8 months before the EU expansion in May 2004. As a young girl straight out of secondary school I decided to leave the safe confines of my home nest and work in England as a nanny.My objectives were clear: improve my English whilst living with an English host family; find out how people live abroad; make friends from all around the globe and simply enjoy myself. Eventually I planned to go back to Poland and study English literature. Working as an au pair was an obvious choice. I had always loved children but as a Polish citizen I did not have the right to work in the UK legally - au pairing is a backdoor route for non-EU citizens. Everything was on track until May 2004 when my country joined the EU. For me and the friends I came to Britain with, this was the crunch. Slowly I started to realise that I could actually try my luck and make a life for myself in England. Although I truly adored the baby that I was looking after, the temptation of saying goodbye to the nappies and afternoons spent on the playground was too strong to resist. After a few months of tiring work as a waitress, another idea started to take hold.Working in a large group undoubtedly gained me the confidence I needed in my spoken English and got me ready for a bigger challenge. 'Why not go back to study?' I thought. Poland's entry into the European Union enabled Poles from unprivileged families to access British higher education. All students who were unable to afford to pay tuition fees could apply for financial help. Something that I had always quietly dreamt of suddenly became possible. In two years time, with a degree in modern languages from a British university, all doors will stand open to me and I hope to become a translator. It might sound pompous but all that I gained here would not have been possible for me or any other young Poles if our country had not become part of the European Union. I have achieved more than I could even have dreamt of when I first arrived in the UK and got an amazing chance to follow my dreams. I see groups of Polish workers looking sweaty and tired but still get a wonderful feeling inside. I am sure opinions are mixed as to the effects of a massive wave of immigration, but I am convinced they are a benefit to the UK. With the advantage of a knowledge of both peoples, I conclude that Poles and Britons are culturally very compatible. We probably work harder (!) but are still very relaxed and certainly possess the charming obsession with hedonism that the British are famous for. A poignant sight for me was a poster detailing a Polish vs Western Europe reggae sound clash where sound systems from both sides battle it out to encourage the most dancers. It was the first time I had seen Polish and English people integrating properly through pleasure rather than through work. |
