What benefits did the Poles bring to the UK?
Most of the migrants worked and paid tax and national insurance. The majority of the migrants were hard working, enthusiastic, skilled and prepared to do undesirable low paid jobs.
Up to 1% of the UK’s financial growth in 2006 was due to the Polish workers along with £2.5 billion which was put into the economy by them
80% of migrants were aged between 18-35. The National Insurance they paid helped provided healthcare and pensions for the UK’s aging population
The UK has always been multicultural but often foreign migrants settle in major cities, particularly London. This wave of migration was unusual because Poles settled across the country. This gave a far larger number of people the opportunity to find out first-hand about a different culture.
Industries have sprung up to cater for the Poles. Many towns now have Polish delicatessens and grocers which have helped to revitalise shopping areas.
Many of the Polish workers were skilled and semi skilled industrial workers or tradesmen (e.g. builders and plumbers). In 2004 the UK was short of tradesmen which meant prices for work were high there were sometimes long waiting times. A result of the migration it became much quicker and cheaper to have work done.
There are also suggestions that without Polish builders and labourers the Olympic Park couldn’t have been completed on time.
The vast majority of Poles were employed in factories, warehouses, farms or as cleaners. In many cases they were employed because UK citizens didn’t want the jobs.
A lot of the migrants only intended to stay for a season or a year, in many cases this was to improve their language skills or save up a bulk of money for University costs.
You will be writing the section on the positives of Poles migrating to the UK.
You can present this information however you chose but ideas could include
1. A report on the process
2. A diagram
3. A fake interview
Also your section must include at least 4 facts.
What drawbacks did the Poles bring the UK?
Although there were lots of benefits of the migration, there were also some problems.
The workers didn’t come alone, along with the 427,000 migrant workers who registered to come another 36,000 wives, husbands and children came with them. 27,000 children of Polish workers were approved for child benefits.
The influx of children put pressure on school class sizes and forced many schools to hire Polish language specialists.
The NHS also started to struggle to cope with the number of people using their services. Particularly because a lot of Poles were young families and so a lot of the migrants had children here.
More people wanting temporary housing meant rent prices increased for everyone, not just foreign workers.
A lot of the money that the Poles earned was sent home or saved for their return to Poland (see the graph). This took money out of the UK economy.
Some people worried that there would be an increase in racial tensions in areas that weren’t used to migrants.
A lot of people were angry that the government hadn’t limited the number of migrants permitted. This led to demands for a change to the law.
You will be writing the section on the drawbacks of Poles migrating to the UK.
You can present this information however you chose but ideas could include
1. A report on the process
2. A graph
3. A fake interview
Also your section must include at least 4 facts.
What effect did the migration have on Poland?
The increase in demand for Polish goods in the UK meant that Polish factories had to take on more staff. This helped to reduce the rate of unemployment in Poland from 19% in 2003 to 9% in 2011.
Many of the people who left were young skilled workers and graduates hoping for better opportunities. This lead to a “brain drain” where many of the most qualified people were gone and the country struggled to find enough people to do all the work.
The money being sent home to Poland meant that the country could develop. Families had more to spend so companies had more customers and took on more staff.
Poland’s unemployment fell while its average wealth grew.
You will be writing the section on the effects of migration for Poland. Was it good or bad for the country? Why?
You can present this information however you chose but ideas could include
1. A report on the process
2. A graph
3. A diagram
4. A fake interview
Also your section must include at least 4 facts.
What effect has the UK’s recession had on the migration?
Over half of the Eastern European migrants have returned. There are lots of reasons for this but they include:
The fact that the UK pound is now worth much less than it was so working in the UK for two years doesn’t allow poles to save as much money as they once could.
Over the past eight years Poland has become much more economically successful. The Zloty (Polish currency) is worth much more and unemployment is under 5%. Unlike the UK where the value of the UK pound has dropped as unemployment has risen.
UK unemployment is now at around 8% and the largest percentage of that is youth where 21% of people are unemployed.
The changes in employment have led to less Poles coming to work in the UK. In addition a lot of the migrants who had come to work in the UK have now left to return to Poland.
This has left some industries in the UK struggling, farmers can’t get people to help with harvests so fruit is being left to rot and less desirable jobs are going un done.
You will be writing the section on the effects that the recession has had on Polish migration. To complete this task you will need to describe the effects of the recession on the UK before you explain how that has changed the migration process.
You can present this information however you chose but ideas could include
1. A report on the process
2. A graph
3. A fake interview
Also your section must include at least 4 facts.