Polish British
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Polish Britons |
|---|
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| Notable Polish Britons: Joseph Conrad, Leopold Stokowski, David Miliband, Daniela Denby-Ashe, Mark Lazarowicz, Zygmunt Bauman |
| Total population |
|
Estimates vary between |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Throughout the United Kingdom |
| Languages |
| English, Polish, Yiddish (mostly in the past) |
| Religions |
| Christianity (Roman Catholic, Orthodox), Judaism. |
Polish British People or Polish Britons are people of Polish origin who were born in or emigrated to the United Kingdom over the course of history. Today, many people living in the United Kingdom have Polish ancestry. Among those born in Poland there are also migrant workers who reside in the United Kingdom.
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[edit] History
In the 16th century Polish travellers came as traders and diplomats. In the 18th century some Polish Protestants settled as religious refugees due to the counter reformation in Poland. In the 19th century, due to the collapse of the November Uprising of 1831 against the Russian Empire, many Polish fighters came to the UK in search of political sanctuary.[3]
After the First World War Poles settled in large numbers in London – many from the London Polish Prisoner of War camps in Alexandra Palace and Feltham. During the Second World War the majority of the Poles came to the United Kingdom as political emigrés during German and Soviet occupation of Poland. In 1940, with the fall of France, the exiled Polish President, Prime Minister and government transferred to London, along with at least 20,000 soldiers. Many other Poles based themselves in other parts of the United Kingdom and in practice London became the nerve centre and military headquarters of the Polish liberation movement.[3]
When the Second World War ended, a Communist government was installed in Poland. Most Poles felt betrayed by their wartime allies and were extremely reluctant to return home. Many Polish soldiers refused to return to Poland, because of the post-war persecution of many Poles, particularly of former members of the AK (Armia Krajowa), and large numbers, after occupying resettlement camps of the Polish Resettlement Corps, later settled in London. A significant number of Poles were professionals (lawyers, judges, engineers), yet only doctors and pharmacists had their qualifications recognised. As a result the majority of Poles worked in building and construction, coal mining and other forms of manual labour, as well as in the hospitality industry. However, the Poles were very entrepreneurial and set up a number of businesses such as clock, watch and shoe repairs – many of which are still operating today.[citation needed]
The relaxation of travel restrictions to and from Poland saw a steady increase in Polish migration to the United Kingdom in the 1950s. Brixton, Earls Court and Lewisham were a few of the London areas where they settled. As these communities grew, it was felt by the Polish Catholic hierarchy and the English and Scottish hierarchies (the majority of whom were Irish[citation needed]) that Polish priests should settle and minister specifically to the spiritual needs of the Polish people. The first such parish was Brockley-Lewisham in 1951 and today there are 10 Polish parishes in London, in places such as Balham and Ealing. Thriving parishes also exist in many other UK towns and Cities.
The longer established communities that ensued after the church established itself were mainly set up by former members of the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Around the hub of a Polish church would be Polish clubs, Cultural Centres as well as a variety of adult and youth organisations such as the Ex-Combatants (SPK), the Polish Youth Group (KSMP) and the Polish Scouting Movement (ZHP pgk). The original aims of these organisations was to ensure a continuation of Polish language, culture and heritage for the children of the ex PRC members. Many of these groups are still active and steps are being taken to attract newer Polish migrants.
The Polish Government in London was not dissolved until 1991, when a freely elected president took office in Warsaw. The Polish people fought hard to combat communism, and for their right to liberty. Previously a base to fight against the communist regime in Poland, London came to be seen as an important centre to foster business and political relations.
[edit] Recent economic migration
Since the expansion of the EU on 1 May 2004, the UK has granted free movement to workers from the new member states. There are restrictions on the benefits that members of eight of these accession countries can claim, which are covered by the Worker Registration Scheme.[4] Most of the other European Union member states have exercised their right for temporary immigration control (which must end by 2011[5]) over entrants from these accession states,[6] although some are now removing these restrictions.[7]
The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the number of applications to the Worker Registration Scheme. Figures published in August 2007 indicate that 656,395 people were accepted on to the scheme between 1 May 2004 and 31 June 2007, of whom 430,395 were Polish nationals.[8]
The Polish magazine Polityka has launched a 'Stay With Us' scheme offering young academics a £5,000 bonus to encourage them to stay at home.
Rapid economic growth at home, falling unemployment and the rising strength of the złoty have, by the autumn of 2007, reduced the economic incentive for Poles to migrate to the UK[citation needed]. Labour shortages in Poland's cities and in sectors such as construction, IT and financial services have also played a part in stemming the flow of Poles to the UK. According to the August 2007 Accession Monitoring Report, fewer Poles migrated in the first half of 2007 than in the same period in 2006. Launched on 20 October 2007, a campaign by the British Polish Chamber of Commerce, 'Wracaj do Polski' ('Come Back to Poland') encourages Poles living and working in the UK to return home.
[edit] Population and distribution
Following the recent migrations (see above), several towns and cities in the UK now have a significant number of Polish inhabitants. However many towns and cities in the UK have long established (since c 1950) and relatively large Polish communities, most notably in London, Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester. Other established communities exist in many other locations such as Leeds, Sheffield, Leicester, Nottingham, Slough, Reading and Melton Mowbray.
The main hub of the London Polish community is Hammersmith in West London, as well as Ealing, Enfield and Haringey. The activities revolve around the Polish Social and Cultural Centre (POSK) on King Street. Polish newspapers and food shops are increasingly apparent following Poland's entry into the European Union in May 2004.
Poles have also settled in Leeds, Sheffield, Bolton, Bury, Peterborough and Chorley in Lancashire. There is a long established Polish community in Bristol and there are also concentrations in Nottingham, South Yorkshire, South Wales, North Wales mainly in Wrexham, Rugby, Banbury, Luton and Swindon.[citation needed] Scotland has seen a significant influx of Polish immigrants with estimates of Poles currently living in Scotland ranging from 40,000 according to General Register Office for Scotland up to 50,000 as per Polish Council, [9] with around 5,000 in the Highlands region. This has led to the creation of a bilingual English-Polish newspaper [10].
Carlisle in Cumbria, which is twinned with the Polish city of Słupsk, has a Polish population of over 1,600[11].
Blackpool has about 5,000 immigrants living in and around the resort on the Fylde coast, mostly from Poland, and the local newspaper is one of a handful of British newspapers to have its own online edition in Polish, Witryna Polska .[12]
[edit] Famous Britons with Polish ancestry
- Joseph Conrad, novelist
- Canute the Great, King of England (Polish mother)
- Henryk Gotlib, leading expressionist painter
- Phil Jagielka, football player
- Waldemar Januszczak, art critic
- David Miliband, Labour Party Member of Parliament
- Kazia Pelka, actress
- Peter Serafinowicz, comedian
- Chris Dreja, musician, photographer
- Daniela Denby-Ashe, actress
- Lysette Anthony, Lysette Chodzko, actress
- Rula Lenska, Roza-Marie Leopoldyna Lubienska, actress
- Nicky Ladanowski, actress
- Janick Gers, musician
[edit] References
- ^ Steve Doughty, Daily Mail, the Office for National Statistics recorded the number of Poles who have travelled to the UK in 2006 at over 2,000,000. The number of those who stay may exceed 500,000 according to summary by Świat Polonii (see above).
- ^ Up to 2 Million Poles are living and/or workin in the UK at any given time
- ^ a b BBC London, Polish London. Accessdate 2008-01-02.
- ^ Home Office, Border & Immigration Agency, The Worker Registration Scheme Accessed 2007-12-27.
- ^ Freedom of movement for workers after enlargement Europa
- ^ Barriers still exist in larger EU, BBC News, 1 May 2005
- ^ EU free movement of labour map, BBC News, 4 January 2007, accessed 26 August 2007
- ^ Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and Communities and Local Government, Accession Monitoring Report: A8 Countries, May 2004-June 2007, 21 August 2007, accessed 26 August 2007.
- ^ Polish immigrants swell Scotland's new baby boom
- ^ Bilingual paper for north Poles
- ^ Polish immigrants in Carlisle
- ^ Polish Gazette in the TV spotlight
[edit] External links
- Federation of Poles in Great Britain
- POSK Polish Social and Cultural Association
- Reassessing what we collect website – Polish London History of Polish London with objects and images
- Return to Poland - employers' website
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