Once again, I find myself contrasting today's hopeful story with yesterday's. Instead of Somali refugees in the US, we find Polish migrants in London - except they're not all staying for long. This article suggests that many Polish migrants remain several years in the UK, working hard, gaining skills and knowledge, and then return to Poland - better off financially and empowered socially and psychologically. It's an interesting and fairly positive slant on a topic that has so much 'bad press'. Stories like this may help to open up a more intelligent and considered debate on migration in the mainstream media - which would be particularly welcome in the US, given the emotion likely to be invested in the topic in the coming election year!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
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This is a real win-win situation. Ten years ago you couldn't find a builder to do a small job - now there are Polish builders everywhere, keen for work and often recommended by those for whom they've worked.
They seem to learn skills by osmosis.They weren't in the building trade before they came here, now they are laying bricks, plastering walls and fitting bathrooms. Corner shops have signs saying "Polish spoken here" and Tesco's has a Polish food section. I don't recognise the CSM's description of the these post-Communist people now in need of someone to take care of them. Those I've met are resilient, self-reliant and confident. Many come, not with the intention of learning new skills (though this undoubtedly does happen)but to earn better money. Some stay; but for many it's like an extended working gap-year. They help us out for a while and go home wealthier and wiser. And its not just the Poles. Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Romanians are all adding to the cultural mix. There are tensions, but this is how the "new Europe" should work.
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