Experts from the Centre for International Relations conducted a survey among Poles living in Great Britain in order to gain knowledge about their sense of belonging to their homeland. Conclusions were published in a report, which will help the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in developing activities for the Polish community in the last wave of emigration. The most interesting statements have been assembled in short video clips that make up the collective portrait of the Polish community in the UK.
Poles in Great Britain are the largest group of immigrants. One could assess that – counting the residents – there is approximately million Polish people in the UK. According to British Statistic Office, nowadays Polish is a second language on the Islands, and Poles are second largest – after Indians – national minority in the UK. On the tenth anniversary of Poland’s accession to the European Union, a team of experts from the Centre for International Relations asked the above questions to a diverse – in terms of age, gender, education, occupation, financial situation and family status – group of Poles who have been living in London for a several years. The answers are featured in a special report as well as in short videos and brief participant profiles. The project allowed to illustrate an interesting collective portrait of Polish expatriate communities living in Britain, by outlining objections and possible incentives of their return to Poland in the future. Recommendations on how to strengthen Polish identity as well as the actual relationship with Poland, particularly for those who do not intend to return, were also singled out in the project.
Read more about the project here: http://en.wherearewenow.csm.org.pl
Download report here: http://wherearewenow.csm.org.pl/Raport_Where_are_we_now.pdf